Avatar: The Journey Continues
by Brunetteangel95
Summary: Sequel to Avatar: The Journey Begins.Aang and the Gang are now at peace after having defeated the evil Shino; however, a new unexpected threat arises.A threat that will test the strength of love and the strength of Aang.Will love be able to save the day?
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1: The Peaceful Trip**

**Hello Fellow Readers! So before you guys are totally confused. This is a sequel to my original fan Fic Avatar: The Journey Begins. Many of the original characters are from the first story. Those who have read the original fic.. are you ready for a whole new story? I am! If there are any new readers, WELCOME TO THIS KATAANG SEQUEL! :D Anyways... I do not Own Avatar even though I would have loved to! Okay enough of me talking... ON TO THE FIRST CHAPTER! :D**

...

"Is everything ready to go?" Aang asked his friends as he finished loading the last of the gang's luggage by using his airbending. Sonyi, Chang, Sokka, and Suki were all sitting in Appa's saddle while Katara was conversing with Azula, Ning Li, and Mai.

"Yep, I think so." Sokka said after examining the many bags that were before him. After two weeks of much needed rest, Katara, Sokka, Chang, Sonyi, Suki, and Aang were ready to leave the firenation and head back to the Southern Watertribe.

"Are you sure that you don't want us to drop you off in Goaling?" The young Airnomad asked Toph who was standing nonchalantly next to Sheng and Zuko.

"I'm sure. I'm probably just gonna stay here until after Zuko's wedding. Plus someone has to look out for this bozo over here." The Blind Bandit replied as she pointed to her boyfriend who was standing beside her. Zuko had proposed to Mai before the huge battle ever even started, and now in just a few weeks they would be husband and wife. The Young Avatar smiled at the thought of Katara and Him getting married. He hoped that Hakoda would give him his blessing and that Katara would say yes. If everything went the way that Aang had figured it up in his mind, he would be coming back to the Firenation as an engaged man.

"Okay, We'll see you all in a few weeks." Aang responded before getting a rough punch in the arm from his Earthbending master.

"Be safe." Zuko told his friend before shaking his hand and giving him a man hug.

"I will." Aang replied back with a smile before walking up to Katara, Ning Li, and Azula. "Katara, we need to be leaving soon." The airnomad told his lover causing Katara to nod her head in understanding.

"I'll see you all in six weeks!" The Waterbender said to her friends before getting a surprise hug from Azula.

"See you then, and be careful." The Firenation Princess responded with a sweet smile.

"We will." Katara replied before waving one last time and following Aang back to where Appa was standing in the courtyard. A few seconds later, the group of friends were off and soaring through the sky.

"You're gonna love the Village. It's nothing but snow, icy glaciers, and ocean. We live off of sea prunes, seaweed stew, and Seal Jerky." The last word Sokka said with an exaggerated sigh as he leaned back against the back of the saddle and placing his arm around Suki.

"It sounds.. Uh.. Interesting." Chang responded before smiling and taking Sonyi's hand in his.

"Yeah I guess you could say that... The only bad thing that I can think of is the blizzard storms. Those things get terrible. Sometimes the whole village can be snowed in for weeks!" The watertribe warrior continued saying which caused Chang to instantly frown at that information.

"We have many waterbender's in the tribe now so the Blizzards will not be much of a threat anymore." Sonyi reassured her boyfriend before leaning into him. Katara who was sitting at the front of the saddle merely smiled at this scene. They were such a great couple, and she was so glad they could finally be together. She was also happy that she could remain with Aang.. They had grown to love eachother so much. The last two and half months replayed in her mind. From the beginning to learning of her healing ability...From her Mother's rebirth to OnJi's death and rebirth. Everything had changed so much in just two short months. She had truly learned how to love deeper than she ever thought possible and forgive more than she expected. Now they were all headed back home after such a long time. Sokka, Chang, Suki, and Sonyi were all engrossed in their conversation about the Village so Katara decided to get up and go sit next to her boyfriend on top of Appa's head.

"Hey." The Waterbender greeted as she sat down next to the bald monk.

"Hey." Aang responded with a sweet loving smile before taking Katara's hand in his own. "What's going on in the saddle?" Her boyfriend inquired when hearing the muffled voices of their friends laughing and talking.

"They are just filling Chang in on what to expect at home." Katara answered before leaning into her lover with a smile on her face. "It's going to be nice to be home." She said in a comforting whisper. This caused a sweet smile to light up Aang's face as he leaned his head against Katara's.

"Yes it will, my Love." The Avatar agreed before kissing her gently on the head. After a few hours, the sun was high in the sky and very very hot.

"Hey Aang, do you think we can stop near that lake over there? It's really hot, and I'm ready to take a break from this heat." Sokka asked his best friend while rapidly fanning himself with one of Suki's fighting fans.

"Uh.. Yeah. A break sounds good. I'm sure Appa would want a rest anyway." Aang answered before guiding Appa down to the ground. Once on the ground, Chang grabbed Sonyi's hand and helped her down the large Bison's tail while Aang picked Katara up bridal style and jumped down to the ground eliciting a loving giggle from her. Suki watched this with a small smile on her face as she waited for her boyfriend to do something sweet and romantic. A loud obnoxious yawn was heard from behind her before Sokka walked casually by and slid down Appa's side. This made Suki frown and slightly huff before she too jumped off of Appa's side and walked up to the group.

"This is a nice spot." Sonyi commented as she took in the beauty of their surroundings. There were lush trees surrounding the large beautiful crystal clear lake. It was so peaceful and quiet and serene.

"Yes it is." Katara agreed with a small smile as she looked at the cool water that called to her.

"SWIMMING TIME!" Sokka screamed causing everyone to look at him just in time to see him almost rip out off his clothes leaving him in his undergarment. Before anyone could have a chance to say anything, The watertribe warrior was running full blast and jumping into the water. Everyone was silent for a second before looking at eachother and breaking out into cheerful laughter. The rest of the group then followed their friend's example and ran to play in the water. Suki and Sonyi grabbed two huge leaves and then laid down on them floating casually in the water while Sokka and Chang surfed on waves that Chang waterbended. Katara sat on the edge of a rock with her feet dangling in the cool water. Her white undergarments were contrasting beautifully with her flawless tan skin and chocolate brown hair as Aang silently took in the beauty of his girlfriend. A mischievous playful smile then crossed his face before beginning to waterbend a hug water ball and placing it over his unexpecting girlfriend's head. The next thing Katara knew, she was being drowned in a huge splash of water. Surprised, the young girl looked over to see Aang leaning over with laughter.

"Oh, do you really want to challenge your waterbending master, Pupil Aang?" Katara asked playful while jumping into the waist deep water and getting into a fighting stance. This caused Aang to laugh before looking at his love slyly.

"Yes, I think I do, Sifu Katara." The Avatar answered while creating the famous octopus form. Instantly Katara sent a waterwhip towards Aang who merely blocked it with one of the legs of the Octopus. Aang then shot a couple of dull icicles at his playful opponent who dodged them gracefully. On and on they sparred until finally Katara blasted a huge wave towards Aang who was caught off guard and fell back into the water.

"Whoop hoo! The waterbending master gets the first score!" Katara exclaimed playfully while punching a fist into the air causing Aang to smirk. Before Katara knew what was coming, a waterwhip wrapped around her waist pulling her towards the young Airbender. In an instant, Katara was wrapped up in Aang's arm and unable to move.

"Aang, let me go!" Katara demanded with a giggle as she struggled against his moist chiseled chest.

"And why would I do that?" Aang asked slyly before grabbing the back of her head and claiming Katara's lips as his own. At first the waterbender put up a playful resistance and growled jokingly; however, she couldn't do that for long before pleasure and love began to envelope her. After a few seconds, Katara had her arms wrapped around his neck kissing him with sweet passionate kisses in front of everyone.

"AGH! KATARA! AANG! STOP IT! OOGIES!" Sokka screamed as he closed his eyes and fell back into the water. This caused Chang, Sonyi, and Suki to all laugh at the warrior's priceless reaction while Katara and Aang continued kissing uninterrupted.

...

_ In Ba Sing Se_

"Renshu, you coming?" Siyu, a muscular twenty year old, green eyed, short brown haired man, asked his friend who was staring silently out the window of their house. This question fell upon deaf ears since Renshu was in deep thought about something. This frustrated the man's older friend.

"Renshu!" Siyu called his name in his loud low bass voice. This time Renshu heard him and turned his face to meet his friend's tall figure in the doorway.

"Huh?" Renshu said in his soft baritone voice. His deep sky blue eyes held a depth of confusion and worry that cast a dullness and lifelessness on his thin face. His very uncommon short wavy sandy blonde hair shined in the sun's rays. He was muscular, but not near as muscular as Siyu who was two years older than him.

"I asked you if you were coming with me to the training ground." The older man asked his distracted friend as he walked up to Renshu.

"Oh, No I'm going skip out on training today." The younger man answered bending a small puddle of water out of the air and bending it into different shapes.

"You had another dream, didn't you?" Siyu stated rather inquired in a softer tone before bending a small earth chair up from the ground and sitting next to his best friend. A shaky sigh escaped the waterbender's mouth before he silently nodded his head 'yes' and looked out of the window.

"I just wish I knew what they meant. Last night was the same dream I've had for the past week. I just see a ghostly black silhouetted figure in a white fog, and all I hear is 'The Key..set me free'.. Then I wake up. What does it mean?" The distress in Renshu's voice was very apparent as he crossed his arms and watched a little black haired girl run down the sidewalk with her babydoll in her arms. Siyu ran his fingers through his hair while trying to figure out what to say to his friend.

"Maybe you'll learn more later...if it's a message from some spirit then I'm sure it will inform you more in time... You look awful.. Why don't we go get some tea at the Jasmine Dragon? It might help ease your mind." The Concerned Earthbender suggested as he stood up to leave.

"I guess your right, and Yeah I think some tea would be good." Renshu agree before also standing and following his friend out of the room.

...

**First chapter! Yay! Okay, so if you read the first fic then you prolly know who is contacting Renshu by the end of Avatar: The Journey Begins. I hope you liked the KATAANG and the new characters. :) Sorry if this chapter is kind of short. They will get longer. As for the weekly updates, I'm planning on sticking with updating Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays. -Crosses fingers- hopefully I can keep up. We will see how this goes.. Let me know what you think about the first chapter! Please review! :D**


	2. Chapter 2: Reminisce and Love

**Chapter 2: Reminisce and Love**

**Hello People :) Sadly I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender. Sorry guys :'( if I did Aang would be alive and there would be like 16 more books full of KATAANG! XD**

**Previously on Avatar: The Journey Continues...**

_"You had another dream, didn't you?" Siyu stated rather inquired in a softer tone before bending a small earth chair up from the ground and sitting next to his best friend. A shaky sigh escaped the waterbender's mouth before he silently nodded his head 'yes' and looked out of the window._

_"I just wish I knew what they meant. Last night was the same dream I've had for the past week. I just see a ghostly black silhouetted figure in a white fog, and all I hear is 'The Key..set me free'.. Then I wake up. What does it mean?" The distress in Renshu's voice was very apparent as he crossed his arms and watched a little black haired girl run down the sidewalk with her babydoll in her arms. Siyu ran his fingers through his hair while trying to figure out what to say to his friend._

...

**And Now...**

Night fell on the campsite as the small group of friends sat down around a glowing campfire to relax. After a half a day of playing in the lake and relaxing, the gang was ready to just calm down and talk.

"This feels like old times..Well besides we aren't running from firebenders and we have new people around." Sokka stated while watching the fire flicker back and forth.

"Yeah, I agree with you. It does feel like old times." Aang responded causing Katara and Suki to smile and nod their heads in agreement.

"It's nice to be able to do this again. I've missed living on the road. Every since the war ended, and preparations for Republic City began we had been stuck in either Ba Sing Se or the Fire Nation. I've almost forgot how peaceful and quiet being a nomad is.." Katara remarked causing Aang and Sokka to nod in agreement.

"Speaking of the Republic City, when are we going to have to begin working on that again? I know the preparations were placed on hold whenever the stuff with Shino began, but now what do we do?" Sokka wondered while directing the question at his best friend who was sitting across from him.

"Zuko and I have already discussed it, and we agreed to hold off the preparations for Republic City until after his honeymoon." The Avatar answered as he randomly threw a tiny pebble into the fire.

"That's what I figured." Sokka remarked before looking over at Chang and Sonyi who were sitting hand in hand. "Aren't you two getting married to?" The curious warrior inquired causing a slight blush to form on both of their faces.

"We plan on getting married, but we are not sure when." Chang answered rather bashfully before smiling at Sonyi who was also smiling fondly at him.

"It's something how just two and a half years ago we were only focused on the war. So much has changed since then. It's a whole different world." Katara spoke up as she stared intently at the fire shining before her.

"Yeah, I know... Remember when we we're younger and always would fear that the Fire Nation would come take you." Sonyi told Katara who nodded in recognition. "And how we would run around pretending that the Avatar saved the day." That reminder caused both girls to giggle in remembrance and Sokka to groan.

"We used to build a snowman and pretend he was the Avatar, and we would make Sokka Firelord Ozai!" Katara added with another giggle causing Sokka to face slap.

"Yeah! Then we'd get snowballs and bury Sokka in them. I would play the girl in distress while you would pretend to fight along side our snow-avatar! Those were fun memories." Sonyi continued, this made Aang and everyone else besides Sokka laugh. "Or remember the snowball fights we would have against Sokka." Sonyi reminded causing the watertribe warrior to growl.

"I was outnumbered! I was having to fight against a waterbender and warrior!" Sokka defended himself in a squeaky voice. This elicited another round of laughter from the group of friends.

"A beginner waterbender.." Katara corrected with a smug smile.

"Still! I was a beginner warrior!" Sokka countered before crossing his arms and leaning back against a tree trunk.

"Well, now you are not. You're a master swordsman; I'm a master waterbender. The war is over, and we are free." Katara stated before laying her head on her boyfriend's shoulder who wrapped his arm around her waist. This statement softened her brother's upset face expression and caused a sideways smile to form on his face.

"Yeah... It's definitely been one crazy adventure. I guess it is kind of cool to see where we've come from over the last two and a half years." Sokka admitted before yawning loudly. "Well, I'm going to get to bed. It's been a long day." With those almost mumbled words, the watertribe warrior stood up and walked over to a spacious earth tent Aang had kindly made for him and Suki.

"I agree with Sokka. It is getting late. I'll see y'all in the morning." Sonyi told her friends before also standing up and turning towards her own separate tent with Chang following close behind. Suki soon stood up and excused herself for the night leaving Aang and Katara alone under the moonlight. Their finger's intertwined and hearts melded together in beautiful harmony.

"You know.. If you would have told me a hundred and two years ago that I would have been trapped in an iceberg, freed by the most beautiful women in this whole world, fought and defeated Ozai, and would be dating the sweetest most perfect lady on this earth...I would have laughed and never believed you." The young Avatar announced after a short silence between the two lover's. This statement caused Katara to smile fondly and lean her head against her boyfriend's bare chest.

"And if you would have told me just two years ago that I would rescue the Avatar from an ice prism, start an amazing adventure with him, become a master waterbender, learn to heal, and fall madly in love with the most amazing man on the planet... I would have called you crazy." The young waterbender declared in a soft sweet tone causing the Airbender to sigh contentedly.

"Destiny is a funny thing, but a wonderful one." Katara added in almost a whisper as she listened to the slow calm beat of her lover's heart.

"I love you." Aang immediately told Katara in a soft raspy voice. This cause the waterbender to look up at him with shimmering blue eyes and an angelic smile.

"I love you too." Katara responded before leaning into his moist lips and filling him with much desired affection. All was peaceful as they both silently reminisced on where they had came from just two and a half years before.

...

_Blackness and hazy waist deep fog was all Renshu could see. Once again the same dream began to plague his mind. It was like he was trapped in a barren abyss of some sort with no means to escape. The silhouetted male figure appeared out of no where causing the waterbender to take a step backwards. The man was closer this time. Now Renshu could clearly tell that this was indeed a man, a young man not much older than Siyu. Although, he still couldn't see the man clearly enough to see the man's eyes or facial features in detail. _

_"Who are you?" Renshu dared to ask in a confused yet forceful tone as he fought to look fearless. However, his trembling hands gave away his nervousness. The other man was silent a moment before answering vaguely. _

_"A friend who has been treated wrongly and wishes for justice and freedom." The strange figure's voice was calm and in a way soothing. This immediately caused the Waterbender to grow increasingly interested in this captured man._

_"What happened? What is your name? Why have you summoned me?" Renshu questioned as he stood tall and studied the figure before him._

_"I was treated unjustly and placed in this torturing and barren prison. My name is not of any importance at the moment, and my time with you is fading fast. I have summoned you, because you are the only one who can free me. You are the only person who can break the curse." The deep voice of the stranger answered as the fog became even denser._

_"How will I do that?" Renshu inquired while stepping closer toward the man who seemed to be floating off in the distance._

_"Find the Flaming Ruby of Kamer." The now distance voice of the man yelled before the fog surrounded the young warrior. _

_"Wait! Where is this Flaming Ruby?" The Waterbender shouted only to have no reply except for the sound of a howling wind._

Gasping, Renshu awoke from the dream in a cold sweat. His best friend's repulsively loud snoring could now be heard booming through the room that they shared together as the young man attempted to make sense of his many thoughts. Standing up, Renshu exited the bedroom and walked up to the big clear window in the main room. He then allowed his thoughts to wander on the words that the mysterious man had told him as he leaned his arms on the bottom of the window seal.

"The Flaming Ruby of Kamer? It sounds almost mystical.. Enchanted even.. Come morning, I will go search the library for information on this special ruby.." Renshu thought to himself while staring up at the twinkling stars and radiant glowing full moon.

...

Hello Everyone! Thanks for all of the reviews! This was my face expressions when seeing the feedback. O_o...O_O..:) :))...:D.. Yipeeeeeeeeee! Boo yaaa! So thank you all very much. YOU GUYS ROCK AND HAVE PUT THIS STORY ON AN AWESOME START! :DDD.. So once again we have some sweet KATAANG and gang reminiscing moments.. But on the flip side.. More from our new Character Renshu and the strange dreams he is now having. I know there is not much immediate conflict going on here in the story.. It's much different from the original that began with the conflict.. I figured I'd give some/a whole bunch of sweet KATAANG to you guys first :) I hope you are liking the first 2 chapters. Sorry about Grammar and punctuation mistakes. I will try to be more careful in the later chapters. Please please please review Guys! :)) 


	3. Chapter 3: Information

**Chapter 3: Information**

**I do not own Avatar :'(**

**Previously on Avatar: The Journey Continues...**

_"How will I do that?" Renshu inquired while stepping closer toward the man who seemed to be floating off in the distance._

_"Find the Flaming Ruby of Kamer." The now distance voice of the man yelled before the fog surrounded the young warrior. _

_"Wait! Where is this Flaming Ruby?" The Waterbender shouted only to have no reply except for the sound of a howling wind._

**And Now...**

"Renshu! There you are buddy! I've been looking everywhere for you." Siyu exclaimed in a loud husky voice as he ran into the Ba Sing Se library.

"SHHHHHHH!" A grouchy and very serious grey haired librarian sounded causing the muscular man wince and apologize softly to the older woman.

"What are you doing here? Have you been here all morning?" Siyu asked quietly as he pulled back a chair and sat down next to his preoccupied friend. Renshu remained silent a moment as he scanned through a page in a huge book before sighing frustratedly and slamming the big book closed.

"Yes, I've been here all morning... I had another dream last night.." Renshu answered his buddy while rubbing his temples in order to ease some of his headache.

"You mean the one with the creepy ghost dude?" The earthbender inquired as he leaned closer to Renshu who frowned slightly.

"He's not a ghost. He's a man who is trapped, but yes.. That dream.. I learned more in the dream last night." The waterbender confirmed causing Siyu's interest to automatically peak.

"What more did you learn?" The older man wondered in a whisper. Renshu leaned back in his chair before answering his friend.

"He's trapped in that prison, and the only way to free him is to find the Flaming Ruby of Kamer.." Renshu informed causing Siyu to frown and furrow his eye brows in thought.

"A Flaming Ruby?" The earthbender repeated in a louder tone eliciting another firm shush from the librarian. "Have you found anything on it?"

Renshu shook his head 'no' in disappointment. "I've been searching through countless books but none of then say anything about this Flaming Ruby Of Kamer." He added in a frustrated tone as he laid his forehead in his hands. After that statement, Siyi was quiet as he pondered over possible solutions.

"Maybe you're looking in the wrong place." The earthbender thought aloud while stroking his clean shaven chin. This caused Renshu to throw up his hands and laugh almost mockingly.

"Really? I would swear that I'm looking in the right place." The waterbender sarcastically smarted off while his friend rolled his eyes.

"What I'm meaning is maybe there is no information on the ruby because you're not searching right. You've been searching under Flaming Ruby of Kamer, right?" Renshu nodded his head 'yes' before Siyu continued voicing his thoughts.

"Then you should look under Kamer. Find out what or who Kamer is and from there we can know what to do." The earthbender suggested while rubbing the back of his neck.

"Siyu, you're a genius." The waterbender said as he stood up and walked down an isle in search for more information. A few minutes later, Renshu returned with book inscribed in the golden letters 'The Beginning Ages'. It's black leather seal cover was worn and slightly torn from from the countless years of wear. The pages crackled as the waterbender carefully turned each page until at last he saw the inscription 'Kamer: Ruler of Fire'.

"Siyu, check this out." Renshu told his friend causing the earthbender to eagerly scan over the page. On the old page, there was an elaborate drawing of a strong powerful man with golden amber eyes. He wore a long flowing maroon robe that resembled the attire of a highly esteemed sage. His long black wizard-like beard seemed to flow in the painting. In his right palm was a small flame no bigger than a coin, and in his left was a flaming firenation emblem.

"It says that Kamer was the founder and first Firelord of the Fire Nation back when the world had just begun. His memorial and grave still stand tall and proud in the former Fire Nation capital, Kasei." Renshu read aloud before staring up at his best friend. "We have to travel to the Fire nation. More information on the ruby is probably in Kamer's Memorial." The waterbender swiftly stood to his feet and began walking out of the library leaving an aghast Siyu sitting at the table with his jaw dropped. Shaking his head and jumping to his feet, the earthbender raced out of the library after his determined friend.

"Have you lost your mind?" Siyu exclaimed rather than asked as he chased his friend out of the door and into the crowded streets. "What makes you think anyone will give you passage to enter into Kamer's Memorial? Let alone try to find some flaming ruby of his!" Renshu ignored his friends questions as they quickly made their way down the street and toward their small humble home.

"I, at least, have to try. If there is one thing my father taught me before he passed on... It was to never give up on someone who needs you while you still have a chance to save them." Renshu's solemn statement instantly quieted any objection that Siyu was planning to say to him. After a brief silence, the earthbender sighed and flashed a crooked mischievous grin.

"When do we leave?" Siyu inquired causing his friend to also smile.

"Tomorrow morning." With that answer, the two men entered into the house to begin preparations to leave Ba Sing Se.

...

"We are coming up on Kyoshi Island. Do you guys want to fly down to visit the Kyoshi Warriors?" Aang asked his friends from on top of Appa's head.

"I don't see what it could hurt." Sokka answered while receiving an approving nod from his girlfriend.

"Plus, I would like to see how Ty Lee is doing. I could possibly help her recover from the burns she received quite a few weeks ago." Katara added to her brother's answer.

"Then to Kyoshi Island we go." Aang stated before steering the giant bison down towards the small island.

"Look Everybody! It's the Avatar!" Cries of joy and excitement ran through the village as the small group of heroes landed on the ground. The Avatar laughed softly and waved with his usual cheesy smile before airbending himself down off of Appa.

"Avatar Aang, it is an honor to have you and your friends visit our humble Island. How can we help you?" The governor of the city greeted with a respectful bow which Aang returned.

"Thank you. It's an honor to be here. We were actually on our way to the Southern Watertribe and figured we would come visit some old friends here." The young airbender stated with a soft smile.

"Very well. I hope you enjoy your stay in Kyoshi. If you ever need anything just come ask me. We will be more than happy to serve the heroes of the world in any way we can." With that the governor bowed again and walked off leaving a the group surrounded by a large crowd of people.

"AANGY!" Koko exclaimed as the little girl rushed out of the crowd and tackled Aang in a huge hug. She was still young since she was only ten years old, but she had slimmed down a whole bunch. The baby fat on her face had nearly disappeared and her hair was now down to her shoulders.

"Hey Koko." Aang greeted his little fan as he attempted to stand back on his feet. Only to have a mob of little lovestruck children run and tackle him to the ground. Katara stood beside them giggling at the sight of seeing the almighty avatar being taken down by a group of small lovestruck girls. The attention he received from these little children didn't bother Katara since they were only little girls. The only time she felt upset was when it was teenage women flirting with her boyfriend which wasn't the case this time. Aang then used subtle airbending moves to gently float the giggling and gushing girl's off of him before jumping to his feet and running over to Katara who was still giggling at what happened.

"Alright girls, I think Avatar Aang has had enough attention for one day. Why don't you girls run along and maybe Aang, Sokka, Sonyi, Chang, and I will battle eachother later so you all can see the Avatar in action." Katara intervened when the young girls began running toward them. Instantly squeals of excitement could be heard as the little girls jumped up and down while nodding their heads vigorously. "Alright then. We will duel later this evening near the ocean, but we have to rest first. So we will see you girls there." The clever waterbender stated before the girls ran off laughing and squealing with joy.

"Thanks Katara." Aang told his girlfriend before giving her a kiss on the cheek and taking her hand in his.

"No problem, Honey. That's what I'm here for." The beautiful waterbender stated with a cute innocent smile. With that statement, Aang and the rest of the group went to visit with the rest of the Kyoshi Warriors.

"Suki! Katara!" The acrobatic girl exclaimed as she flipped over to the group and hugged both girl's tightly.

"It's so good to see you!" Katara exclaimed while giving the young girl another hug. "How are you feeling? How are you healing up?"

"I'm healing up great! I even have the cool new scar on my side. It looks like a butterfly!" Ty Lee assured with a bright beautiful smile. This caused Katara and Suki to smile.

"That's great! I'm glad you aren't in anymore pain. We were worried about you." Suki stated with a big smile before giving her friend a hug.

"What brings you guys to Kyoshi? There's not another bad guy around here is there?" Ty Lee inquired as she looked at Aang who shook his head 'No'.

"We are on our way to the Southern Watertribe and figured we'd stop by and say hi." Sokka answered for the group causing Suki to flash another adorable smile at him.

"That's great! I'm glad you guys decided to come see us!" Ty Lee exclaimed before bending over backwards and stretching her back.

"Have you heard about Mai and Zuko's wedding?" Suki randomly brought up to Ty Lee while looking over at Sokka with a smile.

"Who hasn't? I'm going to be the maid of honor! I can't wait until the wedding. They are perfect for eachother!" The acrobatic girl cheerfully stated before doing a backflip and landing on her feet facing the group.

"I agree they are perfect for eachother..." Suki responded with a half smile as she looked at Sokka who was casually stretching his arms.

"Well, If all you girls are going to do is talk about girl stuff.. Then Aang, Chang, and I are going to go to the food court and get something to eat. Come on Aang." Sokka then blurted out before grabbing The Avatar's arm and pulling him out of the room with Chang following behind.

"Hey Katara, Do you want to go shopping? There's some cute shops around here that I am dying to see." Sonyi asked her best friend causing Katara to nod her head 'yes' before turning to Suki and Ty Lee.

"Do you guys want to come?" The waterbender asked the other two girls who shook their heads no.

"We will meet you two later today. I want to talk with Suki for a minute." Ty Lee answered before Suki could even respond.

"Oh.. Okay. Well we will see you guys in a little bit." Katara responded before exiting the room with Sonyi. Once the girl's were out of sight, Suki turned around to see a skeptical Ty Lee staring at her with her hands on her hips.

"What's going on with you and Sokka? I've never seen you two so distant before." The former circus performer wondered causing Suki to groan.

"I.. Don't know. He's just been acting very different here lately.. I try to get romantic with him or even talk to him, and he just avoids me or says he's tired or something.. I don't know what's going on, but if he keeps this up much longer I'm afraid that we won't be together..." The Kyoshi Leader answered with a downcast face. This caused Ty Lee to immediately grab Suki and pull her into a hug.

"I'm sorry this is going on Suki.. I'm sure it's just a faze. You both will get though it.." The acrobatic girl comforted her friend who merely laughed weakly.

"I hope it ends soon or else I won't be able to take much more of it." Suki commented softly as Ty Lee released her from the hug.

"Have you talked with him about it?" Ty Lee asked causing Suki to shake her head 'no'.

"Every time I try to Sokka comes up with some lame excuse to get away from me or not talk about it.." The Kyoshi Leader remarked with a frown. After that statement, Ty Lee was silent.

"Why don't we go spar? We can talk more about this while working out. It will probably help ease your mind a little. I can tell you aura is looking unreasonably blue." The acrobatic girl suggested with a light smile.

"That sounds good. I could use a good sparring session." Suki accepted before both girls took off walking outside to begin practicing.

...

**Hey everyone! Chapter 3 is now finished. So we saw more stuff on our new Characters Renshu and Siyu. Plus got to see Ty lee and have a little more KATAANG. Hope you liked the Chapter! Please review! Thank you all for your reviews! :D**


	4. Chapter 4: Two Loves One Choice

**Chapter 4: Two Loves; One Choice**

**Nope...Sorry guys.. I don't own Avatar.**

**Previously on Avatar: The Journey Continues...**

_"What's going on with you and Sokka? I've never seen you two so distant before." The former circus performer wondered causing Suki to groan._/P>

_"I.. Don't know. He's just been acting very different here lately.. I try to get romantic with him or even talk to him, and he just avoids me or says he's tired or something.. I don't know what's going on, but if he keeps this up much longer I'm afraid that we won't be together..." The Kyoshi Leader answered with a downcast face. This caused Ty Lee to immediately grab Suki and pull her into a hug._

_"I'm sorry this is going on Suki.. I'm sure it's just a faze. You both will get though it.." The acrobatic girl comforted her friend who merely laughed weakly._

_"I hope it ends soon or else I won't be able to take much more of it." Suki commented softly as Ty Lee released her from the hug._

_"Have you talked with him about it?" Ty Lee asked causing Suki to shake her head 'no'._

...

**And Now...**

A quiet almost unbearable stillness clung in the air as the warriors prepared for battle. The only sound that was heard on the seaside was the hushed small excited giggles from the fan girls. Katara stood facing Aang with waterwhips surrounding her arms while Sokka and Suki poised for battle to the left of the girl. Sonyi and Chang stood to the right of Katara also in their battle stances. The lone airbender was right in front of his lover with an excited yet focused look on his happy-go-lucky face. No one moved as they waited for their opponent to take the first action. After a few seconds, Katara bravely made the first move by shooting a large horizontal slice of water toward her boyfriend who merely jumped over it using airbending. Sokka then took that time to run towards Aang, sword drawn, in an attempt to slice at him. Sokka's efforts were futile as the powerful avatar easily slid up a rock wall that the watertribe warrior slammed into. Chang then created a powerful waterblast and shot it towards Aang who countered the attack with a fireball. In the meantime, the avatar managed to airbend at Sokka who immediately flew out of the makeshift arena and into a tree trunk.

"Sokka's out!" One of the young fan girl's announced as the watertribe warrior stood up rubbing his throbbing back. Next up was Sonyi who dodged a waterwhip from Aang and threw three razor blades at the young man. This was easy for the airnomad who simply airbended the razors back to the girl causing her to fly back and hang pinned by her clothes to a tree.

"Sonyi is out!" The little girl informed while the other fans cheered on their hero in his little play battle. Shouts of adoration and praise filled the air as Aang dodged razors and waterblasts heading towards him from his three remaining opponents. Chang was next in line to be taken out as he prepared a huge waterbending blast and threw it towards Aang. In a spit second, the avatar created a huge fireblast that hit into the water creating a mighty explosion that shot Chang out of the game and into the ocean.

"There goes Chang the waterbender!" The young announcer called out over the squeals of delight. With all of the positive feedback, Aang felt his pride getting the better of him. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Suki charging full blast towards him with fans flailed and ready for battle. Right before the kyoshi warrior had a chance to hit the avatar, Aang ducked out of the way avoiding the attack and sent Suki flying into Sokka's unexpecting arms. The impact knocked the watertribe warrior off his feet and flat on his back with a loud groan.

"Suki is out! Now it's one on one. Who will win? Avatar Aang or his girlfriend, Katara?" The little child cried out in a high pitch nearly squealing voice. This caused Aang to smile as well as Katara to do the same. Katara knew that she didn't stand a chance against her boyfriend, but she definitely wasn't going down without a show. The waterbending teacher started the face off with some elegant two feet thick water whips closing in on her pupil from all directions. This caused Aang to create a small air tornado to shield him from the waterwhips. Waterwhips flew everywhere with this counteraction. One waterwhip slammed into a tree, another one Katara had to counteract since it was heading towards her, and the last one hit Sokka, who was just standing up, straight in the stomach causing him to fall back again. This accident didn't attract any attention from the dueling couple or the excited fan girls. Aang sent a chunk of rock towards Katara who sent up a slice of water splitting the boulder in half. She then sent a huge wave towards her lover which was counteracted by a firewall. On and on the two battled for around another five minutes before finally Aang caught is girlfriend off guard by picking her up with airbending whip, floating her out, and dropping her into the cool ocean water.

"And Avatar Aang is the winner!" The volunteer announcer concluded with an excited squeal. The other lovestruck girl's followed her example before running into the small fighting arena and tackling a laughing Aang. Katara, who was still floating in the water, merely giggled and began swimming back to shore. The vacation was off to a great start, and Katara couldn't wait to get to the Southern Watertribe in the morning.

...

_Later that evening..._

A cool calming breeze flew gracefully though the night sky as the half moon and stars shined beautifully down on the tiny village. The group of friends were now in the guest house laughing and talking about different adventures except for Sokka who was silently sitting on a log sharpening his boomerang. His face held a sadness and emptiness as he concentrated on his weapon.

"Hey." A soft voice called from behind the young man. Sokka turned around for a second to see his girlfriend standing in a green silk robe with her hair down and face paint taken off. The breeze coursed through her shoulder length hair, and the moonlight cast an elegant beauty on her skin. However, this didn't even faze the distracted young man.

"Oh.. hey Suki." Sokka said softly before turning his back to the girl and continuing to sharpen his boomerang. Suki frowned a little, but decided to ignore the coldness and continue some type of conversation.

"It's a nice night out tonight, isn't it?" The Kyoshi warrior commented causing Sokka to nod his head in agreement.

"Yep." Was the one worded response that the young girl received. Even still, Suki pressed on to talk with her quiet boyfriend.

"So.. Zuko and Mai's wedding is coming up. That's pretty exciting." Suki continued with slight uneasiness in her voice.

"Yep." Sokka shortly replied while continuing to sharpen weapon. This made the Kyoshi warrior's frustration rise as she fought to maintain her calm demeanor. Pushing back a strand of hair from her face, Suki began talking again.

"It seems that a lot of people are getting married now.. Zuko and Mai, Chang and Sonyi, and of course Aang and Katara will be getting engaged sometime soon. Those two are so in love." The Kyoshi Leader observed as Sokka casually continued scraping the shrieking stone across the metal boomerang.

"If Katara and Aang have any sense in their minds they will wait until they are much older before getting married." Sokka's response caught his girlfriend off guard. She was not expecting such a cold remark to her comment.

"Well, how long do you think they should wait, and why should they wait? They obviously love eachother.." Suki asked while observing her unusually shut down boyfriend.

"I don't know.. Just a while.. And because they are too young." The watertribe warrior answered without even so much as a glance back at his girlfriend.

"Well.. Do you ever plan on marrying..me someday?" Suki inquired causing Sokka to drop his sharpening stone and turn around with a completely baffled expression on his face.

"What? Suki, why are you asking me this? I thought you didn't even want to get married..." This remark caused the usually strong and fearless girl to become insecure and nervous.

"Well.. I have been thinking about it a lot lately.. We are already passed the age of legally being able to marry, and all of our friends are getting married.. So I've been also wanting to experience being married and start a family.." The last part of that answer came out soft and barely audible but still hit Sokka like a boulder.

"A family? Suki.. No.. We can't get married yet!" The watertribe warrior exclaimed in a crackly voice. This answer surprised the Kyoshi warrior and infuriated her.

"And why not?" Suki inquired with an upset tone as she walked closer to her boyfriend.

"Now is not the time.." Was his short answer. This caused even more rage to envelope the young girl.

"Then WHEN is the right time Sokka? We've been together going on three YEARS now.. THREE YEARS! How much more time do you need to figure out if you want to spend the rest of your life with me?... Why are you acting like this? Here lately, I can't even get five words out of you. You're not romantic with me anymore.. You're avoiding spending time with me.. You're ignoring me.. What is going on with you?" Suki questioned while placing her hands on her hips in anger. Sokka then turned his back to the young girl and looked down at the sharpened boomerang in his hands.

"I'm.. Just not ready." Was his simple yet sincere response. This caused the Kyoshi warrior's leader to frown and look at the ground in sadness. A few quiet moments passed by as the two remained perfectly still.

"I love you, Sokka.. and I wish you were ready.. I gave you my heart.. I just wish you would give me yours." Suki responded in a quiet and very saddened tone. Sokka remained silent as he stared up at the elegantly glowing moon. Longing and grief filled his entire soul before he stood up and sheathed his boomerang.

"I'm sorry Suki.. I can't deal with this right now... I'm going to bed.. Goodnight." With those last words, Sokka walked solemnly past his girlfriend and toward the guest house. A wave of anger, sadness, and humiliation swarmed Suki causing her to growl in anger and kick the long breaking a hole through it.

"Why can't he love me?" She cried out to the moon before breaking down and crying on the ground.

Laying in his bed, Sokka looked out his window and towards his moon angel. She was his before fate took her, and he had spent three years trying to forget. His efforts to move on and fall in love with Suki were completely in vain. He just couldn't let go.

'How can I marry someone else? I planned on marrying Yue... How can I even think about giving Suki my heart when it already belongs to you, Yue?' Sokka thought to himself before he silently drifted off into sleep.

...

**Okay...DON'T KILL ME.. so now we have some conflict with Sokka and Suki. Sokka is still not over Yue, and Suki realizes that he doesn't fully love her. Kind of a sad chapter for the both of them. Hope you liked it though! Please review! And thank you all who have reviewed! YOU GUYS ARE THE BEST! :D It's so awesome to know that my story is loved and appreciated. :') Well, it's 1:40 in the morning! So I need to get some sleep! ENJOY!**


	5. Chapter 5: Traveling

**Chapter 5: Traveling**

**I do not own Atla.**

**Previously on Avatar: The Journey Continues...**

_ "We have to travel to the Fire nation. More information on the ruby is probably in Kamer's Memorial." The waterbender swiftly stood to his feet and began walking out of the library leaving an aghast Siyu sitting at the table with his jaw dropped. Shaking his head and jumping to his feet, the earthbender raced out of the library after his determined friend._

...

**And Now...**

"Are we all set and ready to head out?" Katara asked in a cheerful voice as she place her bags in the saddle.

"I think so." Chang responded while leaning back against the frame of the bison's huge saddle. Sonyi situated herself to where she was leaning against his chest with a content smile. Sokka was also in the saddle, and Katara couldn't help but notice his unusual quietness as he stared off into the sky.

'I wonder what is going on with him.' Katara thought to herself before Sonyi spoke up.

"Hey... Where is Suki? I haven't seen her all morning." The girl wondered while mainly addressing that question to Sokka who just frowned.

"She's not coming. She wants to stay here." Was the watertribe warrior's answer causing everyone to remain silent and stare at him.

"Is she okay?" Katara asked her brother who just sighed irritably.

"Yeah. Lets just get out of here." Sokka ordered while continuing to stare into the sky.

"Okay... I guess I'll let Aang know that we are ready to go.." Katara mumbled uneasily before getting up to speak with her boyfriend who was on Appa's head. "We are ready to go. Suki is not coming with us.." The waterbender informed her lover causing Aang to look at his girlfriend with a questioning look.

"Is she okay?" The concerned airbender wondered as Katara shrugged.

"I'm not sure.. Sokka is unusually quiet and distant today.. I think they must have gotten into an argument or something.." The beautiful healer responded causing the avatar to shake his head in agreement then command his bison to fly. Within a few seconds, the group was in the air soaring toward the Southern Watertribe leaving behind sad lovestruck girls and waving adults who came to see them off. From Kyoshi Island, they were only a half a days journey from the watertribe. This realization caused Aang's stomach to drop.

'In just a few hours, I will be standing face to face with Hakoda asking him for Katara's hand.' The Avatar's heart began to pound at just that thought.

...

The docking station was noisy and crowded from the different people and traders selling their goods. The disgusting smell of fish wafted through the air along with many different spices creating a vile smell that would make new travelers sick to their stomach.

"Ugh.. This place reeks.. Is this the best that you could get?" Siyu asked while attempting to fan the putrid smell away from his nostrils.

"Yes, all the other ferries and ships were completely filled. It was the best I could do on short notice. The ship will be a whole lot better than this place though." Was Renshu's emotionless response. Both men pushed through the busy traffic with their traveling bags on their backs, ignoring the traveling salesmen and cons that pleaded for them to buy their products. Siyu then groaned a little before trudging along behind his friend who seemed oblivious to the horrible conditions. After a few more torturous minutes, the two young men finally reached the main dock where all of the ships were held. Massive ships in spotless condition lined the shores causing Siyu to sigh. Before long, he would be resting on a beautiful deck staring out at the crystal clear ocean and eating a bowl full of delicious octopus-shrimp.

"Ahoy there Lads! Can I help ya?" A burly white haired sailor greeted the two men at the dock. This caused Siyu to snap back into reality and stop thinking about the delicious octopus-shrimp.

"We need to board 'The Fair-weather Beauty' headed to the Fire nation colonies." Renshu answered the older man while scanning the ocean for the ship. A big somewhat toothless grin shined on sailor at the mention of the ship's name.

"The names, Sailor Muki, and that's my ship that you're talking 'bout. I figured you two were the ones who wanted to go to the old hot place. Follow me. We'll get on goiń." The burly man introduced himself before turning around and walking down the dock. Gigantic ships floated to the left and right of the three men as they continued walking down the dock, and the farther down they went the bigger the boats got. Finally the three guys were nearing the end of the dock. By this time, the ship's were far above any man's head, and Siyu was excited. A huge ship at the very end of the dock caught the young man's attention. It was the biggest ship of all and was a masterpiece. Siyu's heart began to pound as they walked closer to the ship. His mind began racing on what to do first on the voyage.

"Here we are! The Fair-weather Beauty..." Muki's voice broke Siyu's daydreaming causing him to look at where the old man was pointing. An old creaky boat with scratches and dents all in it floated in the water right next to the huge new ship. Within an instant of seeing the boat, Siyu's face fell from a smile to a jaw dropping frown.

"She don't look like much, but Beauty is the toughest and best ship around these parts. She's been very reliable. Now come on. Hop in here, and let's get going." Muki ordered before jumping into the creakily old boat along with Renshu and a slouched Siyu. "You can put your bags in the chambers down below deck. I'm gonna get old Beauty out to sea." Muki added as he walked up towards the ship's wheel. Renshu then silently walked through the door and into the bed chamber. The room wasn't in much better condition than the outside of the boat. The floor creaked with every step, the smell of old wood filled the room, and there was only one queen size bed in the chamber. A small wooden desk stood up against the left wall and had a medium sized chipped washing basin on top of it.

"I thought you said that the ship would be better than the dock market thing we just had to suffer through! This boat is awful!" The earthbender complained to his friend who dropped his bag on the ground and sat down on the edge of the bed creating a loud squeak.

"It was the best I could do, Siyu. Last minute first class traveling arrangements don't just arrive on a silver platter. Especially not ones heading toward the Fire nation. You know how leery people are about going there since the war between Ba Sing Se and the Fire nation over the Harmony Restoration Movement. " Renshu reminded his buddy while dusting some dust off of the bed sheet.

"Okay.. I guess you have a point there.. But I am NOT sleeping in the same bed with you." Siyu remarked whole scrunching his nose as just the thought. This made the waterbender roll his eyes and stand up.

"You don't have to. I'm sleeping on the ground." With those last words, Renshu left the room leaving Siyu to get his stuff situated.

...

Suki laid on her bed with her face in her pillow. She had not gotten out of bed since last night and was a mess. None of the Kyoshi warriors had ever seen their leader so distraught and depressed, and frankly no one knew what to do. No one except for Ty Lee who had dealt with her fare share of broken hearted friends.

"Suki?" Ty Lee's sweet soft voice sounded in the dark room. The long dark green curtains were completely closed shutting out any ray of sunlight that might dare to mess with the depression. In the far right corner of the room, a silhouetted figure could barely be seen laying underneath some light green bed sheets. "Suki? Are you okay?"The acrobatic girl asked as she stepped into the darkened room and closed the door behind her.

"Go away.." A short, angry, and saddened voice mumbled from under the bed sheets while Ty Lee walked closer. The bubbly girl ignored the order and continued approaching the bed until she was standing right next to Suki. The sight that Ty Lee saw made her slightly gasp and place her hand over her mouth. Her usually strong and powerful leader was now a complete mess. Even in the darkness her friend could tell that her hair was in complete disarray, her eyes were bloodshot from all of the crying, and dark circles were under her eyes from lack of sleep. Immediately Ty Lee knew what she was dealing with.

"Oh Suki, I'm so sorry." The acrobatic girl sympathized before leaning over and giving her friend a comforting hug. "I guess the talk with Sokka didn't go too well.." Suki merely shook her head before crying some more in her friend's arms.

"I don't know what's wrong with him! He doesn't love me like I love him! He doesn't want marriage.. He is uncertain about even being together. I don't know what to do! I don't know how to make him love me!" Suki confided in her student as another round of sobbing began. Ty Lee just quietly held her friend and let her finish crying before replying back.

"I'm sorry Suki... I know this is really hard..Believe me.. I know.. But it will all be okay. Sokka is just a big dummy for doing this to you. He doesn't deserve you.." Ty Lee told her friend causing Suki to push away from her and growl.

"How would you know ANYTHING about what I'm going through? You're life is nothing but perfect! You grew up popular, have guys knocking down your door to date you, you have the PERFECT figure, and always are so HAPPY ALL the time! How would YOU know anything about heartbreak?" Suki exclaimed out of frustration and anxiety before plopping back down in her pillow. Ty Lee didn't allow that statement to get her upset. She knew how being heartbroken makes people say things that they don't mean. What Suki needed now was a friend.. A person to help her get through this difficult time.

"Because.. I lost the man I loved too..." The bubbly girl told her heartbroken friend causing Suki to immediately sit up and stare in disbelief at her friend.

"YOU lost some one you loved?" The Kyoshi Warrior's leader repeated in disbelief as Ty Lee solemnly shook her head 'yes'.

"A little over 4 years ago.. It was before I even joined the circus. I was one of many identical sisters in a high class family attending the best most expensive private school in the Fire nation. I was the smartest girl in the entire school and was the envy of most girls, and I had so many friends.. Everything was going great. That is until I met...him. As soon as we met, it was like fireworks went off inside of me. I couldn't see anyone else. I couldn't think about anyone else. I was completely blown away by him.. We instantly fell in love and began dating.. The problem was.. He was poor. Once my parents found out... they told me I couldn't see him anymore and broke us apart. I couldn't take the grief and snuck out one night.. I told him to run away with me, but he said no.. He said that he couldn't leave his family or disrespect mine in that way.. So I ran away alone.. That is why I joined the circus.. I had to get away. I had to be free, and I couldn't see him.. Eventually I was able to recover from the heartbreak and am now back to myself." Ty Lee informed causing Suki's mouth to hang open in shock.

"Ty Lee.. I never realized.. I'm sorry." The baffles warrior responded before the former circus performer placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder and smiled.

"It's fine. We all say things we don't mean whenever we are hurting." Ty Lee stated while continuing smiling a soft smile.

"How did you get over it?.. Like get over the heartbreak." Suki inquired softly as she stared down at her blanket. Ty Lee stood up before replying.

"I met other guys.. Focused on my training.. And drew closer to my friends." Was the sweet girl's answer causing her friend to smile.

"Thanks for helping me Ty Lee. You are a great friend." The Kyoshi Warrior thanked as her friend walked over to the door. "And Ty Lee.. If you don't mind me asking.. What was the young man's name?" At that question, the acrobatic girl turned around with another sweet smile.

"You're welcome Suki. That what friends are for.. And his name was... Ning Li.." With those final soft spoken words, the young bubbly girl exited the room leaving Suki in deep thought.

'That's what I'll do.. Focus on my training.. something sounds so familiar about Ty Lee's old lover.. I just can't remember what.." Suki thought to herself before getting out of bed and heading over to the washing basin.

...

**Phew okay so chapter 5 is officially done. Stupid writing block and very busy schedules are really getting in the way of me getting this story to you guys on time. I'm a busy busy person at the moment. Ha.. Anyway.. This chapter is largely based around Sukka relationship problems.. With some hopefully funny Renshu and Siyu moments. I'm sorry if this relationship problem upsets some readers... To me Sokka has never seemed completely over Yue.. Even in the Ember Island Players episode, Sokka was still seen crying over Yue in the play and he deliberately shushed Suki.. So yeah.. That's the method behind my madness. So anyway.. Thank you all for your reviews! You guys are awesome! I'm so excited to already have SOOOO many reviews! I'm also sorry for not responding to the reviews. I barely have time to even write this story.. My schedule with hopefully settle down after May, and I can then focus more on the story! But thank you all for your reviews! Without you guys.. This story is worthless :) please review :)**


	6. Chapter 6:Welcome Home

**Chapter 6: Welcome Home**

**I do NOT own Avatar The Last Airbender... Sorry guys :(**

**Previously On Avatar: The Journey Continues...**

_"How did you get over it?.. Like get over the heartbreak." Suki inquired softly as she stared down at her blanket. Ty Lee stood up before replying._

_"I met other guys.. Focused on my training.. And drew closer to my friends." Was the sweet girl's answer causing her friend to smile._

_"Thanks for helping me Ty Lee. You are a great friend." The Kyoshi Warrior thanked as her friend walked over to the door. "And Ty Lee.. If you don't mind me asking.. What was the young man's name?" At that question, the acrobatic girl turned around with another sweet smile._

_"You're welcome Suki. That what friends are for.. And his name was... Ning Li.." With those final soft spoken words, the young bubbly girl exited the room leaving Suki in deep thought._

_'That's what I'll do.. Focus on my training.. something sounds so familiar about Ty Lee's old lover.. I just can't remember what.." Suki thought to herself before getting out of bed and heading over to the washing basin._

...

**And Now...**

"There it is!" Sonyi cried out while pointing at the outline of ice-walls in the distant. By this time, everyone except for Aang was wearing heavy duty parkas in order to stay warm from the cold winds. Excitement coursed through Katara as she looked at her home. She would see her tribe, friends, grandparents, and parents. She absolutely couldn't wait. Aang, on the otherhand, was the exact opposite. Normally he would be happy and excited to be able to return to Katara's family and his pretty much adopted family. However, this time he had a mission to do. He was going to ask Hakoda for Katara's hand in marriage. A flash of overwhelming nausea overcame the young avatar as he tried to keep ahold of his nerves. Never had Aang felt this entirely shaken up and just scared. Hakoda's answer would mean whether he could marry the love of his life or not. The next few minutes seemed to only fly by faster and faster as they came closer and closer to their destination. Then it was right below them. The now lightheaded airnomad steered Appa down to the center of the tribe while swarms of villagers circled around the group. With a happy but very uneasy laugh Aang waved to the people and jumped down to the ground along with the rest of the group. As soon as they were on the ground, Katara grabbed Aang's hand and drug him through the crowd and over to where her family was standing. Eliciting a few giggles from the tribe members from seeing the mighty avatar being pulled around by a girl.

"Mom! Dad! Gran-gran! Pakku!" Katara exclaimed before letting go of her boyfriend's hand and running up into a family group hug.

"Oh, My beautiful little waterbender. I'm so glad you've returned home safe." Kaya stated with a big smile. Aang could definitely see where Katara got her looks from. Kaya was pretty much just an older version of Katara. As Aang focused on the sweet mother-daughter moment, he didn't see Hakoda approaching him.

"Hello Aang, welcome home." Hakoda's non-formal greeting caught the avatar off guard and caused another stroke of nausea and nervousness to overwhelm him.

"Oh, Hi Chief Hakoda. Thanks, it's great to be back." Aang choppily responded before laughing uneasily and rubbing the back of his neck.

"I trust that the travel was peaceful?" Hakoda inquired with a small smile as Aang looked like her was about to explode from all the emotions raged inside of him.

"Yep.. Everything was great.. No problems.. At all. Just smooth sailing the whole way here." The airnomad answered with a big grin and an awkward breathing pattern.

"That's good...I hear that everything is now in order with the world again since your victorious defeat of Shino... How is preparations for Republic City going?" The chief asked while silently wondering what was making the young man so fidgety. Before Aang could even answer, Kaya interrupted the awkward conversation.

"Hakoda, give Aang a break. They just got here and you are already asking about political things. I'm sure that poor young man gets constantly swarmed with questions about the world. He shouldn't here though.. Not at his home." Hakoda's wife scorned before walking up to the young Airbender and giving him a hug. "Welcome home, Aang." She told him with a quiet sweet voice.

"Thank you Lady Kaya." Aang replied with a happy smile before looking over at Katara who was now talking with Kanna and Pakku. He was secretly very glad that Kaya intervened. He didn't know how much more he could hold himself together.

"Hey! What about me? I'm back to you know!" Sokka's voice yelled causing everyone to look at the young warrior who was approaching. It was the first time Aang or Katara had heard him speak since before they left Kyoshi. His voice sounded normal, but his walking was slow and drug out. No one would have thought anything of it if they didn't know him. His family new instantly something was bothering the young man but decided against confronting him about it just yet.

"Welcome home my son." Hakoda greeted while giving Sokka a big man-hug. Kaya was next in line to welcome her little boy along with Gran-gran as Pakku. Despite Sokka's obvious saddened demeanor, the reunion was definitely a joyful one.

"You know Hakoda... I think that the return of our most cherished heroes deserves a celebrating." Kaya stated after a few minutes causing an avalanche of positive responses to the idea to fill the air.

"I agree with you, my Dear. Tonight we will have a feast and dance in honor of our returning heroes. I will go to the council to spread the word right now." The chief stated before walking off leaving the group of family to continued conversing with eachother.

...

_Quiet, fast, stealthy, and lethal._ Those words kept ringing through Suki's head as she continued practicing and practicing. Razor edged knives were held firmly in her grasp as Suki concentrated on the target across the training arena. It was a poorly draw stick figure of a man resembling Sokka.

"Take this you jerk!" The heartbroken girl screamed before flinging the knives across the arena and hitting mercilessly into the target. Ty Lee, who was observing her friend, winced and bit the bottom of her lip.

"Ouch... That would really hurt." The acrobatic girl commented when seeing where the two knives dug in at. Suki confidently walked up to the target and pulled the first knife out of his heart.

"He did the same things to me.. I'm just returning the favor." Was the leader's cold response before yanking the other knife from a very wrong place. Perspiration rolled down Suki's face as she ran back and continued perfecting her new technique. It had been hours upon hours that the hurting girl had been training. This made Ty Lee a little concerned for her friend. "Why don't you take a little break? Your body needs rest." The former circus performer suggested as Suki unsheathed her fighting fans and began practicing her forms.

"I'm not tired. A true Kyoshi Warrior doesn't need rest." Suki responded through heavy breaths as she twirled around fighting invisible opponents. Ty Lee's face expression went from a grimace to a worried look. Her friend was losing it, and it was becoming very apparent.

"Suki, everyone needs rest. When I said training.. I wasn't meaning to this extent. I meant in a healthy balance between meeting new guys, flirting, girl's nights, and some training. You are going to hurt yourself or become sick if you keep this up." The concerned acrobat confronted her friend while walking up and placing a comforting hand on her shoulder. Suki immediately sighed defeatedly before dropping her fans and turning around with a solemn face.

"You're right... It's just whenever I stop training I feel sad and depressed." Suki told Ty Lee as her friend hugged her.

"It will get better, Suki. I promise..." The bubbly girl stated in a soft comforting tone.

"I hope so.." Was the leader's sincere response with a small sigh. Suddenly an idea struck Ty Lee causing the girl to practically leap out of Suki's embrace.

"I think I know what would make you feel better." The former entertainer told her friend with a bright smile.

"Really? What?" Suki asked as she rubbed one of her eyes with a curious look on her face.

"We are going to go to a dance party tonight! I was invited by one of my friends, and they told me I could bring along someone. It will be a great way to meet new guys and forget about Sok..Uhh.. Him." Ty Lee informed causing Suki to look down at the ground in thought.

"I don't know... I don't really want to even talk to a guy.. Much less flirt with one." The reluctant girl remarked softly before Ty Lee grabbed her hand.

"It will be fun trust me.. come on let's get you ready." The bubbly girl exclaimed before pulling her leader back towards the houses.

...

The hazy depressing fog settled waist deep in the torturous black abyss as the evil spirit paced back in forth like an prowling lion. He could feel the energy that was brought to him from Renshu's agreement to help free him. Kiroko, the enemy of the avatar spirit, smiled mincingly. While walking up to the empty door frame, he could see the faded outline of four imprints at the top of the door frame. They were the keys to be free of the prison.

"It won't be long before I will get my revenge on that fool of an avatar and all of his past lives." Kiroko mumbled to himself in a cold spine-chilling voice. He grabbed ahold of the bronze metal door frame and closed his eyes. He smiled when seeing Renshu and Siyu standing on the deck of a ship. His plans were working perfectly.

"Once Renshu has retrieved all four elements and placed them in the correct spots... I will be free. Free to create mass chaos..free to be ruler of the world.. Best of all.. Free to get revenge on the Avatar. VENGEANCE IS MINE!" Kiroko screamed, his fire colored red and yellow eyes holding such deep hatred that it would make the mightiest bender fearful. Instantly fire danced out of his mouth and palms while some waves viciously licked the door frame but didn't harm it in the least.

...

**Okay, so now Kiroko returns into the picture. Ohhhhh boy! We also had the first meeting with Hakoda and the happy family reunion. Poor Aang is a nervous wreck at the moment. Who wouldn't be though? :p We also had the Suki part which kind of shows that warrior side of her, and also that she is pretty much... Losing it.. Ty Lee is being a great friend and helping her through this difficult time. So we see some good friendship bonding going on between these two. :) Once again, THANK YOU EVERYONE FOR YOUR AWESOME REVIEWS! I'll get back to y'all as SOON as I can! :D**


	7. Chapter 7:Celebration

**Chapter 7: Celebration**

**I do not own atla.**

**Previously on Avatar:The Journey Continues...**

_"You know Hakoda... I think that the return of our most cherished heroes deserves a celebrating." Kaya stated after a few minutes causing an avalanche of positive responses to the idea to fill the air._

_"I agree with you, my Dear. Tonight we will have a feast and dance in honor of our returning heroes. I will go to the council to spread the word right now." The chief stated before walking off leaving the group of family to continued conversing with eachother. _

...

_"We are going to go to a dance party tonight! I was invited by one of my friends, and they told me I could bring along someone. It will be a great way to meet new guys and forget about Sok..Uhh.. Him." Ty Lee informed causing Suki to look down at the ground in thought._

...

_"Once Renshu has retrieved all four elements and placed them in the correct spots... I will be free. Free to create mass chaos..free to be ruler of the world.. Best of all.. Free to get revenge on the Avatar. VENGEANCE IS MINE!" Kiroko screamed, his fire colored red and yellow eyes holding such deep hatred that it would make the mightiest bender fearful. Instantly fire danced out of his mouth and palms while some waves viciously licked the door frame but didn't harm it in the least._

...

**And Now...**

The sun was setting on the village as Aang and Sokka sat in the main room waiting for the women of the family to finish getting ready. Hakoda was out in the village making sure all of the preparations were in order along with Pakku. He left shortly after everyone was settled in the home so Aang didn't have the time or courage to ask Katara's father the question.

"Ugh.. How long does it take girls to get ready?" Sokka wondered as he fell back against the wall with a pout. Aang, who was sitting up with his arms wrapped around his legs just smiled and shrugged.

"A while.. But they are absolutely beautiful when they come out." Aang replied almost dreamily causing Sokka to groan. A long silence then passed between the two before the warrior propped up on his arms in deep thought.

"Aang, can I ask you something?" Sokka inquired causing the nomad to nod and turn toward him.

"Sure.. What is it?" Aang asked with a slight tilt of his head. Katara's brother then took a long shaky breath before answering.

"How do you love someone when you have already been in love with someone else?" This question took the young avatar by surprise. Before Aang could even answer the question, Sokka continued as if almost talking to himself. "How do you move on without feeling like you are betraying your first love? How do you do that?"

The avatar was silent a moment before speaking. He figured that Sokka was talking about Yue and Suki, but he personally had never been in that situation before. Katara had always been his true love. He never had to let go of another girl.

"You're talking about Yue and Suki, aren't you?" The Avatar inquired before Sokka merely nodded his head. Another small silent moment passed between the two as Aang tried to figure out an appropriate response. 'Roku, I could really use some advice right now...' Aang thought to himself before remembering something Guru Pathik told to him.

"Guru Pathik once told me that love is never lost. It is simply reborn into another person. You have to realize that Yue may be gone from this world, but she will never leave you. Instead, her love is reborn into another.. Suki... Yue is never gone from your heart... Just like my people will never be gone from my heart. However, that loss is meant to be filled by your new love. Katara was my new love after my heart was ripped apart from losing everyone that I loved..." Aang answered carefully and softly while Sokka continued staring at his shoes.

"That reborn spiritual mumbo jumbo stuff might work for you Aang, but I can't just replace Yue. I want her back. I love her, and I can't just forget that." Sokka commented with a bigger frown.

"I'm not telling you to replace Yue with Suki. That's impossible. I'm telling you to move on. To open your heart to a new love. The place that Yue has in your heart will never be replaced with anyone else. Just like Katara could never replace the love for my people. However, she did give me new joy to my life and a reason to love and be happy. You can only achieve this new love by facing the fact that your old love is in the past and looking forward to the future. You have to let your loyalty to only love Yue..go." Aang responded causing Sokka to immediately growl in anger.

"I can't just LET Yue go! She has my heart! I need her. I need to somehow see if I can find a way to free her...to bring her back to me...wait.. Katara has those freaky healing abilities! Maybe she can bring Yue back to life!" The young warrior exclaimed while standing up excitedly followed by a disagreeing Aang.

"No Sokka, it wouldn't work. Yue can't come back." The avatar told his friend causing Sokka to turn around clearly perplexed.

"Why not? Katara brought Mom back to life and OnJi too. Why can't she bring back Yue?" The non-bender asked while crossing his arms in an exaggerated manner. Aang took a deep breath before responding.

"Because Yue is no longer a human. She was given life by the moon spirit who was murdered. Yue is the moon spirit now. She's still alive, but she has a duty to the world. If Katara were to heal her it would only disrupt the balance of the world." Aang explained as he grabbed Sokka's shoulder who immediately shoved his hand away.

"You don't know that! I can figure out a way to return her back to life without messing up the whole precious balance of the world. I just need to talk with her. I need to see if there is a way... Please Aang.. I know you can take people to the spirit world with you. You did it with Katara.. Please Aang.." Sokka begged causing Aang to stare silently at the ground. It was true. During those past two weeks, he had taken Katara to the spirit world a few times. This was different though. Sokka wanted to speak and talk to his former love. He was probably going to try and steal her away from the spirit world or something.

"Sokka.. I-" The avatar began to say before Sokka interrupted him.

"If Katara was the one who gave up her life for Rui Zi would you be doing the same exact thing as I want to? Wouldn't you do anything to see if there was a way to somehow bring her back to you?" These questions hit Aang in the chest. He knew how he would feel if Katara was in Yue's position. The avatar then took a long slow breath and sent his friend a small sideways smile.

"Alright.. I'll take you.. But it will have to wait until tomorrow morning." Aang agreed to his best friend's request.

"Why not tonight?" The young warrior wondered curiously causing Aang to immediately get nervous.

"I..I just have some. things.. to take care of.. Besides Yue will be busy all night with her duties." Aang replied quietly while rubbing the back of his head. Sokka then looked at his friend skeptically but decided against asking anything further.

"I'll see you first thing tomorrow morning then." The young warrior remarked before walking out the door leaving the nervous Avatar alone inside the house. As soon as Sokka was gone, Aang plopped back down against the wall. His formal robes flying up from the sudden drop. He was glad that conversation was over. Now all he had to worry about tonight was spending time with his love and asking Hakoda for her hand. That last part made Aang's stomach turn and heartbeat to beat faster. A few minutes later, the door to the bedroom finally opened revealing Kaya in a dark blue long sleeve turtleneck dress. Her hair was pulled back in a tight bun with two ringlets on both sides of her face. The dress was a loose fitting dress that ran all the way down to her ankles. Even in her older age, Aang thought she was a very beautiful woman. He could definitely tell that Katara took after her mother as far as looks were concerned. Aang's mind then instantly turned to mush whenever the beautiful waterbender entered into the doorway. She was absolutely gorgeous and appeared to have the glowing radiance of an angel surrounding her olive skin. Her hair was down and cascaded down her back in beautiful ocean wave curls. A crystal flower adorned her hair adding more sparkle to her beautiful azul eyes. The dress she wore was a long sleeve v-neck dress. It was a light blue color like the clear ocean water or a blue sky on a cloudless sunny day. The dress was tight around her chest and torso, but then loosened out into a very flowing dress at the bottom. This created an enchanting elegance about her.

"Wow..K..Katara you look... So beautiful." Aang gushed while standing up and walking dreamily to his lover. This made Katara look down at the ground with a blush and huge smile.

"Thank you. You look great yourself." She replied while hugging him and then taking a hold of his hand.

"We had better hurry. The celebration is about to start." Kaya stated with a smile causing the couple to nod their heads in understanding and agreement before they all left for the party.

The whole village was festive and full of laughter and smiles. Everyone was dressed in their best formal attire as they all crowded in the center of the village. Katara and Aang walked hand in hand toward the center of the village where Chang, Sonyi, Sokka, and Hakoda were already standing.

"Now that the guests of honor have arrived we can begin the ceremony!" The Chief exclaimed causing a roar of shouts and applauded to fill the air before festive upbeat music began to play. Immediately different couples began dancing together while some of the less romantic men went and grabbed something to eat from the huge table filled with tons of food.

"Come on!" Katara ordered with a childish giggle before pulling a surprised but happy avatar out into the middle of the dance floor. As soon as the two were on the dance floor, everyone stepped off to the side to watch them dance. Aang flashed Katara a smile which she replied silently knowing what he was thinking. They then began repeating the same exact dance that they did in that secret fire Marion dance party years before. The crowd was filled with approving noises from the people watching them. They were especially encouraged whenever they performed their flips and twirls. After about a minute the music came to a stop ending with Aang holding Katara up with one arm while just like all those years ago. The atmoshpere was instantly filled with whistles, cheering, and applauding of the young couple. Then, as if on cue, the band decided to play a slow romantic song causing multiple couples to begin dancing. Aang wasted no time as he wrapped his as around Katara's waist and pull her close to him. He stared lovingly into his soulmate's eyes. They sparkled as bright as the stars in the sky and matched perfectly with the quiet ocean. He was mesmerized by her enchanting beauty. For those next few minutes, no one in the world existed. It was jet the two of them staring into eachother's eyes and loving eachother.

...

She was nervous...very nervous. Here Suki was dressed in a strapless light green dress that was tight around her chest and torso but fluffed out from her waist line down to her ankles. Her hair was down like normal, but it was adorned with a pretty white rose. She wore a bit of dark green eye shadow, some pink blush, and ruby red lipstick on her face. This was not Suki's way of doing things, but here she was being practically pulled by her friend to some stranger's party.

"It's going to be fun!" Ty Lee exclaimed with her usual cheerful grin as they walked up to practically a mansion sized white stone house. Just the sight of the house caused Suki to become even more nervous. She was not from a rich family or anything like that. How was she ever going to fit in with the wealthy teenagers? Ty Lee who was dressed in the same dress that she wore at the party in Ember Island practically bounced up the stairs while pulling Suki with her.

"Wait, Ty Lee. How do I act here? You didn't tell me we were going to some rich person's house." The Kyoshi leader asked her friend causing the bubbly girl to turn around and tilt her head in the most adorable way.

"Just smile, giggle, and talk a lot. You are already a huge hero to the world so you will fit right in. Just come on. I'll introduce you to some people." The optimistic girl stated before opening the door and walking in with Suki following directly behind her. The room was just as nice as the outside of the house. Expensive vases, furniture, and mirrors filled the main room along with elaborate paintings and crystal chandeliers. Overall who ever lived here was very well off. The room was filled with boisterous laughter and talking.

"Ty Lee! You came!" A young man exclaimed while walking up to the group with one of his friends.

"You bet I did! I brought a friend too! This is Suki. My close friend and leader of the Kyoshi Warriors." The acrobatic girl introduced causing the short brown haired built man to smile and say hi. After a very short conversation, the young man asked Ty Lee to dance who immediately accepted the invitation leaving Suki alone with the other young man.

"My name is Yung." The wavy black haired man introduced himself with a smile.

"I'm Suki." The warrior replied back with an uneasy smile.

"Well, Suki.. Would you like to dance with me?" He asked while catching the young girl off guard.

"Uh...sure." Suki answered while allowing the man to lead her out into the dance floor. As soon as they entered on the dance floor the band decided to change songs. Instead of a slow sweet song, they changed it to a very fast upbeat song. Yung immediately spun Suki around causing the girl to nearly yelp before being tipped backwards and picked back up again. All the movements were very fast that she couldn't even keep up. Suki was used to the short choppy dances that Sokka would do. They were easy to follow along with and were very simple. This man however was spinning, flipping, and sliding her everywhere in the most intricate movement. Surprisingly, Suki was able to maintain her balance and posture through the whole song. After what felt like an hour, the song ended leaving Suki pulled backwards in an ending pose. Suddenly the crowd grew wild with applause. It wasn't until then that Suki realized everyone had cleared the floor to watch them both dance. "You know. You are the first girl who can dance beautifully with Yung. Most girls end up falling on their butts. I have to say I am very impressed!" Ty Lee's dance parted stated with a smile before another applause blew up the room. After that dance, Suki was very popular with the wealthy group of people. Everyone wanted to talk with her and spend time with her. Hours passed as Suki danced, ate, and talked with different people. She was having a wonderful time, but she couldn't help but feel empty and sad. She missed Sokka, and couldn't help but think about him the whole time. Finally the grief became to much for her, and she decided to step outside on the deck to get some fresh air. The deck was beautiful. It had a clear view to the ocean and the stars were absolutely beautiful in the sky.

"It's beautiful, isn't it?" A voice asked from behind the young girl. Suki instantly turned around to see Yung standing there in his light green cut off shirt and brown trousers. His wavy black hair blowing in the wind and blue eyes glistening in the moonlight.

"Hey Yung, yes it sure is.." Suki agreed while turning her attention toward the moon. A small silence passed between the two as the young man walked up to the railing and stood next to the warrior.

"What are you thinking about?" Yung inquired after a moment of silence.

"Oh nothing really.. Just thinking about destiny and life." Suki responded while pulling a lost strand of hair from her face.

"Has anyone ever told you that you are absolutely beautiful?" The young man wondered causing Suki to look at him in surprise. He was so forward and blunt. He didn't hide his thoughts or emotions.

"Not in a while." Suki answered truthfully while looking down at her hands. Suddenly a strong warm hand clasped the side of her cheek pulling her face back towards the man.

"Well... You are." He said softly before beginning to lean closer to Suki. A sickening feeling enveloped the girl as she saw his lips moving closer to hers. In an instinctual reaction, Suki thrust his jaw up into the air causing his face to look up to the sky before powerfully pushing him to the ground and running back into the house. The strong warrior now had tears in her eyes before practically running out of the house and out into the street heading towards her home.

"Suki!" Ty Lee yelled when seeing her friend leaving. She then looked at her dancing partner. "I'm sorry. I have to go..." With those last words, Ty Lee took off after her hurting friend.

...

"I hate this boat... and this bed." Siyu complained as he took off his light green shirt and threw it on the ground before laying down on the creaky bed. Renshu sighed out of frustration and sat down on the mat he was sleeping on. Ever since they had left Ba Sing Se all Siyu had done was complain, and it was really wearing on his friend's patience.

"There's nothing I can do about it now Siyu. You're just going to have to suck it up and deal with it. We will be at the firenation tomorrow morning. Now.. Go to bed. We both need our rest." Renshu ordered before his friend huffed and blew out the lantern allowing the darkness to envelope the two.

_ The barren abyss now surrounded Renshu causing the young man to smile. Normally this sight wouldn't be a pleasant one, but he was eager to talk with the prisoner. His wish was soon met whenever the silhouetted figure of the man appeared in the fog._

_ "I was hoping that you would visit me in a dream. My friend and I are currently on a ship heading to the Fire nation in order to find the Flaming Ruby of Kamer." The waterbender informed causing the figure to smile._

_"Wonderful. I knew I could count on you to try and free me." The figure replied back in a pleased voice. Renshu smiled at the man._

_"Once I obtain the ruby will you then be free?" Renshu asked causing the prisoner to shake his head 'no'._

_"In order to free me you must obtain all four elements. The sources of the power of all four elements are held in four different gems. The Flaming Ruby of Kamer holds the power of fire, The Solid Amber of Minuk holds the power of Earth, the Clear Crystal of Aagi holds the power of air, and the deep blue Saphire of.. Jai Li.. holds the power of water." The last name that the prisoner said was said in a soft almost longing voice. A solemn look appeared on the man's face after naming the last gem. "You have to obtain all of these elements. Once you have all four of them then I will instruct you further." The dense fog immediately began to rise enveloping the prisoner and leaving Renshu all alone._

Renshi opened his eyes and sat up on his mat. It was still the middle of the night and the room was pitch black. The only sign of life in the room was Siyu who was fast asleep on the bed. His loud repulsive snoring nearly vibrated the table next to him. With a soft sigh, the Waterbender stood up and put on his green earthkingdom shirt before opening the chamber door and walking out on deck. He needed fresh air and time to process all he had leaned in the dream. His mission was going to be way harder than expected.

...

It was late into the night as everyone began winding down. Katara and Aang had finished dancing and were now doing their own things. Katara was on the other side of the party talking with Sonyi and a few other teenage girls from the tribe. Some of them had moved here from the Northern watertribe, and Katata was very eager to get to know them. Aang now set on pillow chair watching some of the dancers before noticing Hakoda standing alone near the food table. With a deep breath, the Avatar stood up and began walking towards Katara's father. Now was the perfect time. They were both alone, and Katara was distracted.

"Chief Hakoda... Can I speak with you in private for a minute?" Aang asked as he fought to keep his nervousness under control. Hakoda looked at him a second before smiling and nodding his head 'yes'.

"Of course, Aang. Follow me." The Chief agreed as he began walking out towards a small pond that was near the fortress wall. After a few minutes, the two men were standing before the beautifully glistening water.

"What is it you needed to speak with me about?" Hakoda inquired while facing the young avatar before him. Aang's nervousness skyrocketed and he felt as if he was going to faint. His heart felt like it was about to pound straight out of his chest. His knees were like water and his throat felt closed shut. Excited butterflies and nausea collided in his stomach as he prepared to answer Hakoda's question with his own. He was about to do it. He was just seconds away from asking Katara's father for her hand in marriage.

...

**CLIFFHANGER! First one of the sequel! ^_^ DON'T SHOOT ME! okay so we had Soooo much go on in this chapter. I hope the dream with Kiroko answered some of the questions. You'll learn even more later. Element of surprise at work here :) We also have Sokka wanting to see Yue, some Kataang, some sad Suki moment.. Poor Suki. :( and of course WHAT WILL HAKODA SAY? AANG'S ABOUT TO ASK THE QUESTION! EEEEEEEEKKKKKK! :D Also I'm sorry if I'm late this week on updates. This week is the busiest week I will have probably this whole summer. I'm graduating, have college stuff, and also Soooo many other things. So please bear with me. I will do my best to get these to you on time like I always do. But PLEASE don't like Hate me if I don't update until later in the week. Like I said I am swamped! I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Please review! **

**_THANKYOU ALL FOR YOUR REVIEWS! YA'LL ARE SOOOOOOOOOO ENCOURAGING TO ME! :D I Love you all! You guys are the BEST!_**


	8. Chapter 8:Permission

**Chapter 8: Permission**

**I do not own Avatar**

His breathing was heavy. His knees felt like they were about to buckle as the young air nomad closed his eyes and took a deep breath. This was it. The moment he had been waiting for for weeks now.

"Chief Hakoda, I have come to you to ask for your permission to marry Katara. Before you answer..please hear me out. I know we are younger than the traditional marital age for both of our nationalities, but the recent circumstances that we have happened these past two months have really opened my eyes to things. I've realized that we are not guaranteed a long life or even another day in this life, and I realized that waiting could cause you to miss chances. I love Katara with all of my heart, and I have considered marriage with her before we were even together as a couple. She is the one and only woman that I will ever love. She is my soulmate. I will do anything to keep her happy and protected..even if it means laying down my life in the process. If you will please allow me to marry her, I can give you my Avatar promise that I will take care of her, cherish her, and love her even after my dying breath." Aang's voice was confident and sincere but his hands shook terribly from the nerves. Chief Hakoda didn't seem the least bit surprised that the avatar had came and asked this question; however, he did remain silent for a few seconds before replying.

"I figured that was what you wanted to tall about. I've seen this moment coming from the first day I met you. Katara wouldn't admit it then, but it was obvious that you both loved each other with a love that was so strong and very rare. It is a love that I have never seen before. The strength of your bond is almost inseparable. Even so, love is still a fragile thing, and it can be torn apart by unwise decisions. If it breaks it will have serious consequences and can even cause people to die...especially with the amount of love that you both share. As for your age, that is a problem. Generally, in the watertribe, men do not marry until the age of 16; however you have proven yourself to be more of a man than I even am..." Hakoda then completely turned towards the Avatar who was shocked by that statement. "You have looked out for Sokka and Katara ever since you met them. You have taken care of them and even nearly died trying to save my daughter. I ran away from my grief of Kaya's death and left my children alone and vulnerable. It was an unwise and immature decision and one that I regret terribly. You have been the strength that they have needed. You have given my precious daughter so much courage and confidence. You have made her love again, brought that light back into her eyes again, and given her hope. You have been her support when she was dealing with the grief of losing her mother. You have proven your responsibility and maturity countless times. For that reason Avatar Aang, I give you permission to marry my daughter." Hakoda smiled when giving his approval to his future son-in-law. A huge smile broke out on the relieved airbender's face.

"Thank you so much Chief Hakoda. I promise I will take good care of Katara in the years to come in our marriage." The avatar managed to say through the excitement.

"I know you will, Son. If you don't mind me asking, but what does her betrothal necklace look like. I'm intrigued to see how you mixed two different nationalities into one." Hakoda inquired causing Aang to smile and dig in the pocket of his coat. He then pulled out a beautiful necklace. Orange and dark blue ribbon were woven together represeting their nationalities. The silver stone was in the form of a yin and yang sign. On each side of the yin and yang sign was the air symbol and water symbol. It was a masterpiece like no man had ever made before.

"She will love this." Hakoda stated with a reassuring smile before handing the necklace back to Aang who laughed uneasily.

"I hope so." Aang mumbled while sticking the necklace back in his pocket.

"Aang! There you are. I've been looking everywhere for you." Katara exclaimed causing both men to turn around to see the waterbender running towards them. When she was still a few feet away, Katara stopped running and began walking slowly up to them concern plastered on her face. "Is..everything okay?" She asked while examining the two men.

"Yes, Katara. Everything is fine. We were just talking, and decided to get away from the noise of the party." Her Dad answered before looking over at Aang with a smile. "I think I'm going to return home. It's late and I'm pretty exhausted. I'll see you two in the morning." He continued while patting his soon to be son-in-law on the back.

"Okay, Goodnight Dad." Katara said as Hakoda silently walked off leaving Aang and Katara all alone. Aang then smiled uneasily as his girlfriend turned to face him. "So what did you two talk about?" She inquired causing Aang to scratch the back of his head.

"You know... Just... Stuff. Guy stuff." The young airbender answered with an uneasy laugh causing Katara just to smile.

"Well... Okay then... It's getting late. We should probably be heading home." The waterbender suggested as she turned to begin walking back towards the house. However, before she could, Aang grabbed her hand and spun her into him while capturing her lips as his own. A surprised yelp came from the young girl before leaning into the kiss and letting a slight moan escape her lips. After a few seconds, Katara felt Aang's warm moist lips leave hers and the icy wind replace it. She reluctantly opened her eyes to meet his shining grey eyes looking at her in love. His eyes captivated her, causing her heartbeat to rise and the feeling of complete warmth to overwhelm her shivering body. A soft warm hand gently caressed down the side of her face as she closed her eyes in complete contentment. She felt his forehead softly lean against hers and felt his breath on her lips. It was a moment of pure love and joy. No one mattered; nothing mattered. It was just the two of them in their own universe.

"I love you Katara." The raspy gentle voice of her lover whispered as the cold breeze floated in between them ruffling Aang's shirt and blowing through Katara's chocolate brown hair. At those words, Katara opened her eyes and stared into his.

"I love you too, Aang.. With all of my heart." The waterbender replied before leaning in and giving her lover another kiss.

"Break it up you two! It's time to go to bed. Aang and I have to get up early in the morning, and I need him to be fully awake." Sokka's arrogant voice ordered causing the couple to snap out of their intimate moment.

"What do you mean 'early in the morning'? You never get up early." Katara asked in shock as Sokka crossed his arms.

"Well, I am tomorrow. We are getting up early in the morning. Don't you ask any questions either. That is just what we are doing. Now... Come on. It's late." With those final words, Sokka walked off leaving a steaming Katara and a surprised Avatar alone together.

"What is his deal here recently? He so.. ugh!" The waterbender growled causing Aang to smile gently at her and grab her hand.

"He has a lot on his mind right now, Katara. He will get back to being his normal self soon. I agree with Sokka though. It is getting late, and I guess I have to get up early in the morning too. So we had better get back to the house." The young nomad suggested causing Katara to sigh a somewhat disappointed sigh but follow behind him.

P.../P

*Early the Next Morning*

Siyu yawned loudly as he stretched, sat up, and rubbed his eyes. The sun was just barely shining through the small window as he stood up and put on his shirt. Noticing that Renshu wasn't in the room, the earthbender decided to go up on deck in search for his friend. Within a few minutes, he found him staring at the peaceful blue ocean.

"Did you sleep at all last night?" Siyu asked his friend as soon as he saw him leaning on the edge of the boat's railing.

"Not much... I had another dream last night and couldn't go back to sleep." Renshu responded before turning to his friend. His eyes were bloodshot from exhaustion along with dark circles under his eyes. His skin looked sickly pale, and the way he was carrying himself was completely different than usual. It was like he was changing.

"Renshu.. Are you sure this is a good idea?" The earthbender asked his friend after observing Renshu's demeanor and appearance.

"What do you mean?" The waterbender inquired while continuing to look out into the clear ocean.

"What I mean is are you sure we should be helping free this guy? I mean you don't even know why he was imprisoned or why you need the ruby. Heck, you don't even know his name. How do you know he's not evil or something? Plus, you're just changing Renshu..You're changing for the worse. Ever since we started this mission you've been very irritable. You haven't gotten any sleep, you hardly eat a bite of food, and you're really pale." Siyu told his friend who growled in irritation. "I'm just saying, maybe you should stop and think about what you're doing before freeing this spirit guy that you see in your dreams." The earthbender added as his friend gripped onto the railing of the boat and looked down at the water.

"Don't you think I have been thinking about this? I'm risking my life to free this man. Those thoughts enter my mind all of the time. Especially since he is so discrete with his information, but I just can't turn back now. It's like I'm connected to him somehow. It's like his destiny and mine are intertwined in some way. Like his past and my future are somehow linked... I can't give up yet. We still have plenty more time before he can even get free anyway. I will use this time to get information from him or at least I will try." Renshu replied while turning to face Siyu who was clearly confused by the statements he had just recieved from his friend.

"How are you connected to this spirit? What in avatar's name are you meaning when you say his past and your future feel connected? For the record, We will be at the Fire Nation in one day. I don't know how you will get that information in one night of talking to this guy. He only needs that ruby to be free anyways." Siyu responded as the waterbender silently turned his attention back to the ocean. "He only need the Flaming Ruby of Kamer, right?"

At his friend's question, Renshu slowly shook his head 'no'.

"The spirit told me last night that in order for him to be set free we have to obtain the four elements. The elements are held in four seperate gems. The Flaming Ruby of Kamer holds the power of fire the Solid Amber of Minuk holds the power of Earth, the Clear Crystal of Aagi holds the power of air, and the deep blue Saphire of Jai Le holds the power of water. He told me that we must retrieve these four elements, and then he will instruct us further." This news sent Siyu back a few steps.

"What? So this mission isn't over with just one ruby. We have to steal four different gems!" The Earthbender practically screamed causing Renshu to immediatly waterbend water into his face.

"Shhh! Do you want Muki to know what we are doing? Yes, we have to temporarily steal these gems in order to free him.. or at least I do. This mission is very dangerous and can be life threatening. If you want to just return home then I wouldn't blame you. It's not your burden to bear." Renshu stated as Siyu wiped the water off of his face.

"I'm not going to let you go on this mission alone. You're like my brother, Renshu. A brother never leaves another brother's side." Siyu reassured before putting a hand on his friend's shoulder who just smiled and nodded his head once.

P.../P

*In the Spirit World*

A petite figure drapped with a black cloak walked up to a huge eerie dark cave. This was the first time in thousands of years that the spirit had ever set foot near this horrid place. Two giant soldiers around nine feet tall stood on both sides of the entrance in the cave with flaming swords in their hands.

"WHO GOES THERE?" The soldier on the left side asked in a loud bass voice. At that time, the cloaked figure reached up and let down the head part of the covering. Both soldiers instantly took a step back in surprise and utter shock. A beautiful woman who appeared to be no older that twenty stood before them. He dark wavy brown hair cascaded down her face and hid itself in the back of her cloak. Her light blue eyes shined like the sky, and her flawless olive skin melded perfectly with her soft pink lips.

"Lady Jai Li... To what do we owe this honor? Why have you come? It's not safe for you to be around here." The soldier on the right side inquired as the young woman stepped closer to them.

"I wish to speak with Kiroko." The mature angelic voice of the woman replied causing even more shock to enter on both the soldier's faces.

"It's not safe Lady Jai Li. He might hurt you." The soldier on the left remarked causing the woman to shake her head.

"I've known Kiroko my whole mortal life. I know he will not hurt me. Now allow me to pass. I will only be a minute." With that order, the soldiers reluctantly stepped aside and allowed the beautiful woman to pass. As soon as she was passed the guards, Jai Li opened a small bag from her cloak and walked up to a wall of earth on the left side. There was also a wall on the right side with the four gem inscriptions, but that was the only way Kiroko could be free. The wall Jai Li was entering was the entrance for four keepers of the elements. It was used for emergencies, and Kiroko couldn't escape through it. There had never been an emercency before so no one had ever had to meet with him. However, now Jai Li had to meet with him. After thousands of years of never seeing his face, she was about to enter into his prison and speak with him one on one. With a deep breath, the beautiful woman reached into the bag and pulled out a shining deep blue saphire from her bag. This was the spirit form of the saphire she had recieved on earth. The angelic woman then placed the saphire into it's exact spot on the doorway causing the door to slide open. Another deep breath escaped her mouth as she took the saphire from the slot and entered into the dark abyss. As soon as she entered it, the earth wall closed behind her. Haze surrounded Jai Li as she continued walking in the barren wasteland. Memories of those days, that day, flooded her mind. She had no idea that Aagi had imprisoned him in the memory of the passed. Everything looked exactly how it appeared on that horrid day thousands of years ago. Tears filled her eyes as she fought to keep from crying. It was a memory she never wanted to remember. The worst day in history, but a day that the whole world had soon forgotten. Now that day is only a myth, a legend of a fierce battle. It is told to children as a bed time story or told around campfire's by traveling storoy tellers. No one knew the pain, no one realizes the devestation that that day had caused on the world. After a few minutes of walking through the horrible wastland, Jai Li spotted a figure of a man. He was sitting on that burnt barren tree trunk that had fallen to the ground in the battle. The same place Aagi had left him before sending here. Jai Li's stomach dropped when seeing that he looked exactly the same. His red eyes were still as fierce as ever, his shaggy black hair covered his face, and his body was still as built as before. He was still as strong as ever. That was a characteristic that got him into trouble.

"Hello Kiroko." Jai Li greeted the man who looked up in complete and utter shock. Kiroko couldn't believe it. The woman he had loved and lost was now standing before him. After thousands of years, he heard her voice and saw her eyes. Just like him, time had not fazed her beauty or youthfulness.

"Jai Li.. What are you doing here?" Kiroko asked in a unusually soft compassionate voice as he stood and walked closer to the young woman who remained perfectly still.

"I have come with a warning, Kiroko." Was the woman's monotone response. Tears still misted her eyes as the horrid memories continued to play through her mind. The devestation, the loss, and the friendships broken plagued her so that all she could think about was leaving. The firebender immediatly stopped when hearing Jai Li's answer.

"What kind of warning?" Kiroko inquired, his face returning to a grave and angered look.

"I had a vision. A vision that led to your ultimate destruction..along with others destruction as well. I come as your friend to warn you, please do not attempt to replay the past. Please do not interefere with the Avatar's life. Do not escape this prison." Jai Li responded causing Kiroko to growl and punch fire out at the tree, but it didn't faze the tree either.

"That's all I've ever been.. a friend to you." The firebender stated while ignoring everything else that the woman said to him.

"I must be going... Please take my advice Kiroko.. Leave the Avatar alone.." Jai Li warned before beginning to turn around to walk out of the abyss. After she had taken a few steps, She heard the now soft voice of her old friend begin to speak.

"I was trying to do what was best for the world Jai.. I was trying to do what was best for you on that day." Kiroko said with senserity. This caused Jai Li to feel a rush of anger flow through her body, but she managed to keep her voice low and under control.

"No, Kiroko.. You only did that out of jealousy and maliciousness..out of selfish gain." With those last words, Jai Li disappeared into the dark abyss leaving the firebender to go on a rampage with fire flying all across the prison.

**P.../P**

**First off..I am SOOOO SORRY this has taken me so long to finish this chapter. I've been so busy that I haven't hardly had anytime here recently to just sit down and relax. When I do get that time, I either am sleeping, exhausted, or suffering from a major writers block. So now we have a new character officially introduced. This mysterious Jai Li.. HMMM.. I wonder what the story behind all of this is. Ya'll will find out in later chapters. Oh and yes... Aang recieved Hakoda's blessing. NOW it's just the big question! EEEK! Thank you all for your wonderful reviews! You guys are awesome and sooooo encouraging to me! Please keep them coming I absolutely LOVE to hear from you guys! :D**

**Also I created my first amv. It's Kataang. All this stuff with Korra is great and all, but I have to stick with my two favorite lovers. :)**

**Here's the link: http :/ /www. youtube .com /watch ?v=gPvTnEOHLoo**

**Paste it, remove the spaces, and press enter! Let me know what you think! :)**


	9. Chapter 9:Visiting A Lost Love

**Chapter 9: Visiting A Lost Love**

**I do NOT own Avatar.**

"Aang..Aang..Aang.." A whispering voice sounded in the young man's ears as he slowly found himself entering out of his sleep and into consciousness. A soft rumble came from the sleeping airnomad as he opened his eyes only to see Sokka standing over him staring at him. As Aang sat up and looked around, he noticed that the sun had barely risen up in the sky.

"What time is it?" The sleepy airbender wondered while stretching his arms and sitting up off of his bed.

"It's around seven o'clock. The sun finally came up a few minutes ago." Sokka answered while heading to the door. Aang quickly pulled on his shirt before following the determined warrior outside and into the unforgiving cold icy snow.

"So where do we need to go?" Aang's best friend asked as he pulled his parka closer to his body for extra warmth from the icy cold wind. Aang looked at him in a questioning look before Sokka explained further. "Where do we need to go in order for me to be able to go see Yue? Isn't there some special 'spiritual' spot that we need to be at or something?" This question made Aang nod his head 'yes'.

"Yes, we have to go to the oasis. It's the most spiritual place in the watertribe." The avatar told his friend as he began leading the way over there. After a few minutes walk, the two young men were finally by the oasis. Memories of the battle between him and Koh entered into Aang's mind. It was a magnificent victory, but a very scary feeling of possibly loosing the love of his life. It was just another reminder of why he wanted to marry Katara so soon. Aang soon snapped out of his thinking when noticing Sokka standing rather impatiently at the edge of the oasis.

"Sorry." The young avatar meekly apologized before sitting down in the famous lotus position. Sokka then copied his friend and also sat down in that form. "Okay, what I want you to do is to place your hands together, like this." Aang began instructing as he placed his knuckles together in front of his chest.

"Good. Now I need you to close your eyes, and concentrate on your breathing. Take slow deep breaths in and out while focusing on going to the Spirit World. Feel your mind and soul slowly fading. When you feel like you're floating, don't fight it. Allow it to take you." Aang finished as they both focused hard on what they were doing. Aang waited until he could hear Sokka's steady breathing, and he knew that Sokka was in a meditive state. The avatar then reached out his hand and placed it on the crown of Sokka's forehead. His arrows on his body then began to glow causing both men to float out of their bodies and flash into the Spirit World. A slight yelp escaped Sokka's mouth during the experience, but he kept himself together very well. The Spirit World was it's usual eeirie gloomy self as the young warrior looked around his surroundings.

"You know, all this time I figured the Spirit World wouldn't be such a depressing place. I would be depressed if I was living here." Sokka commented as they both began walking down a misty path. Suddenly Avatar Roku appeared in the middle of the narrow path causing Sokka to scream and enter into a fighting stance only to realize that he didn't have any weapons on him.

"Hello Aang, I see you have brought your friend with you." Avatar Roku greeted while examining the watertribe man who was silently freaking out over not having his weapons on him.

"Avatar Roku, This is my friend, Sokka. Sokka this is, Avatar Roku." Aang introduced causing Sokka to calm down alittle bit and bow respectfully to the passed Avatar.

"What brings you both to the Spirit World?" Roku inquired with a soft smile.

"We are here to see the moon spirit, Yue." Aang answered while returning the smile. Roku then lifted one eye brow with a questioning look on his face before nodding his head.

"I will bring you to her then. Follow me." The past avatar stated before floating down the path with Sokka and Aang following behind him. After a few minutes, the three men were standing before a beautiful circle shaped mansion that was a black and white yin and yang sign. "Yue is in the house. You must make your visit brief though. The Sun Spirit also lives here and doesn't appreciate company...especially from mortals." With that warning, Aang and Sokka entered into the beautiful house. The inside of the mansion was beautiful. It was split in half. The left side of the room was night. Beautiful stars shined on the ceiling and a huge window showed the world as nighttime. Shimmering couches that looked like ice were in the beautiful almost angelic roome. It was peaceful and serene. The other half of the house was lit up brightly with another window revealing a world of busy people and alot of chatter. Bright orange chairs and red tables were in this room along with couches that looked exactly like clouds. It was a very interesting house, but it was very beautiful. Sokka wasted no time at all and began entering into the night section of the house. A cool calming breeze seemed to dance around the room as Sokka looked around. Aang decided to stay behind at the entrance of the house so that way his friend could talk with his long lost lover in peace. It didn't take Sokka any time at all to find the girl he was looking for. She was sitting on an icy white couch looking out into the peaceful world. Her shimmering ruffly white dress still fluttered from the soft wind as it gracefully swept through her hair. She seemed lost in thought. Lost in her own little world.

"Yue.." Sokka whispered causing the woman to look up at him in surprise. Immediatly a smile flashed on her face as she stood up and walked swiftly over to where he was standing.

"Sokka, it's so good to see you! What are you doing here? How did you get here?" The moon spirit asked in a pleased voice as she hugged him.

"It's good to see you too. I've missed you so much, and Aang brought me here. Perks of being the Avatar's best friend. I came see you and to get you back." The warrior replied with a big smile on his face. This response, however, made Yue frown.

"What do you mean 'get me back'?" The moon spirit inquired as Sokka took her hand in his.

"I came to bring you back to earth. Katara has healing abilities and can bring you back to the mortal world..bring you back to your family..bring you back to me." Sokka explained further as he went in to kiss her only to have Yue pull back away from him.

"I'm sorry Sokka, but I can't." The moon spirit told the warrior while turning away from him. Sokka shook his head and turned her around to face him.

"Of course you can. You can come back.. You can be with me.. forever." The warrior disagreed while carressing her soft face. A small tear fell down Yue's face as she pushed Sokka's hand away from her.

"You don't understand, Sokka. Even if I wanted to go back.. I can't. I'm bound in a union, Sokka. If I came back to earth I couldn't ever be married or bear children. I couldn't do anything." Yue told her old lover causing Sokka to frown.

"What..What do you mean?" The warrior wondered, confusion clearly plastered on his face.

"I mean... I'm married Sokka." Yue confessed. This caused Sokka to take a few steps back as he fought to keep tears from escaping his eyes.

"What? To.. To who?" Sokka asked in shock before hearing someone walking up behind him.

"To me." A strong powerful voice boomed behind him. The young warrior immediately turned around to see a tall muscular man in a white robe holding Aang by the arm and staring angerly at Sokka. "I am the Sun Spirit, Pi La. I am also a member of the council of five. Yue and I married out of tradition. There has to be a union between the sun and moon in order for the balance of the world to remain. Now, I suggest you and your little friend leave before your long life gets a lot shorter."

"Pi La, That's not necessary. Please let go of the Avatar. These are my friends. Allow them to stay for a few more minutes. There is something that I need to show Sokka." Yue intevened causing her husband to gumble something and release his grasp on Aang before walking off and into his side of the house. "Please, come with me."

The warrior silently followed Yue to the window where she placed her hand on Sokka's back. "I'm sorry Sokka. I'm sorry you had to find out this way, but our destinies were never meant to be.. You have to let me go, and find new love. A new love that will stay." After that comment a vision of Suki came onto the window. She was dressed in the beautiful green gown and she was laying in Ty Lee's lap crying. Sokka's heart dropped when seeing the devestation he had caused on Suki.

"It's all going to be okay, Suki. I promise." Ty Lee comforted as Suki merely cried harder.

"I love him, Ty Lee. I love him, but he doesn't love me. I can't just forget about him. I can't just replace him. I need him.." The sobbed confession caused Sokka's heart to swell. It was like blinders were lifted off of his eyes as he watched someone who truly loved him cry for him. At that moment, Sokka knew his destiny. He knew his life.. He knew who is true love really was.

"This was just two nights ago...She loves you, Sokka. She's meant to be yours." Yue's soft voice sounded causing the warrior to nod his head in agreement.

"Go to her.. Make things right. Good bye Sokka." The moon spirit stated before a wave of fog swarmed around them all. Instantly, Aang and Sokka were back in their bodies. The two men were silent as they looked out into the oasis. After a few minutes, Aang stood up and placed a comforting hand on Sokka's shoulder.

"I'm going to go to Kyoshi Island. I going to talk with Suki." The warrior stated after a short silence. This made Aang slightly smile.

"I think that's a good idea." Aang told his friend before Sokka stood up and faced the young avatar.

"Thanks for taking me to Yue, and allowing me to see her. I would still feel bound to her if you didn't." The warrior thanked while giving Aang a man-hug.

"Your welcome. Now go make things right with Suki. You can take Appa." With that order, Sokka smiled and ran off to get ready to leave for Kyoshi Island.

...

"There it is the gate to the ole Fire Nation capital, Kasei!" Muki exclaimed while pointing towards two huge dragon statues. The dragons were looking upwards with bright glowing orange fire shooting up into the sky. "Just beyond these here gates is the ancient fire nation city. No one really lives here anymore since it is so far away from the new capital.. or away from any civilization anyway."

What Muki said made since. Kasei was a remote island a few miles away from the regular Fire Nation which would mean living there would be very hard on people. It surprised both young men as they were expecting the old Fire Nation capital to be near the new capital not on another island. A small fog floated in the air as the old boat passed the gates. Once beyond the gates, both men's mouth dropped. Inside the secluded walls of the city there was beautiful inscriptions. Gold statues of men and women that they had never even read about or heard of were everywhere. The streets were made of cream colored stones and the houses were made entirely of beautiful grey bricks. The grass there was surprisingly very green, and there were huge forest-like trees. It seemed like an ancient glorious ghost city. No one came to greet the visitors; in fact, no one seemed to live here.

"I'll wait here for you both. No ships ever come in this place so I'm the only way that you can get out of here." Muki told the two men who smiled and nodded their heads in understanding.

"Come on, Renshu. Lets check this place out!" A more than estatic Siyu told his friend before jumping off of the boat and onto the old earth dock. Renshu didn't hesitate either as he followed his best friend into the city. However, he knew that they had a mission to fulfil so they couldn't waste time touring the ancient city.

"Where do you think Kamer's tomb would be?" Renshu asked Siyu who merely shrugged as a response before looking at a huge statue of a beautiful woman. Her clothing was much different from what the people wore then. It appeared that it was a mix between all four elements. Her long wavy hair caressed down her back and in her hand she held an golden oval shaped thing in her hand.

"Wow..She was a beauty." Siyu gushed as he looked at the statue. This made Renshu sigh and shake at his best friend's admiration of the statue. He then looked up and noticed the oval in her hand.

"It's pretty weird that the woman is holding that oval in her hand." Renshu commented as he studied the item closer. Siyu also nodded his head and turned his focus off of the woman's appearance and onto the object that she had in her hand.

"I wonder what it is.." The earthbender mumbled as Renshu looked over to another statue a little ways to the right of her. It was a young man with medium length hair, an outfit that had a more airnomad look to it, and in his hand he held an golden object that looked like the shape of a crystal. Something seemed very symbolic about these people. The young waterbender then turned around and noticed that they were in the center of a group of four statures creating a square. Renshu then studied the two more statues behind him. The one on the left was a middle aged burly haired man. He looked worn from war and had a very hard appearance about him. In his left hand he held a circular object that also looked like some type of gem. The man on the right is who really got the waterbender's attention. It was a statue of Kamer. It looked nearly identical to the painting that the two men saw in the book. Except the golden ruby wasn't flaming or anything.

"Siyu, these are the four members who trapped the prisoner in his prison. There is Kamer, the man on the left of him must be Minuk, the airnomad guy must be Aagi, and the girl must be Jai Li." Renshu told his friend as excitement boiled inside of him.

"That's really cool, but now that we have found his statue... where is his tomb. I would think that they would hide the ruby in his tomb." Siyu stated causing Renshu's excitement to vanish. A moment of silence passed between the two as the waterbender examined his surroundings. After a few minutes he looked at the ground below him and saw an inscription rotating in a circle around what looked like a sun.

"Siyu, check this out. It's some type of writing on here." Renshu called his friend who was now back to looking at the statue of Jai Li. Immediately, the earthbender was over by his friend's side. "It's some type of writing, but I can't read it." Siyu then silently traced his fingers over the eloquent inscription. After a moments silence, the earthbender began reading the writings.

"It says: Here lies Kamer the Great, the first Fire lord of our beloved Fire Nation. May his name go down in history and legends be told of the distasterous battle that did unfold. May this poem recite to those young and old of the valient leaders who fought in Arsmold. For many a day and night the two brothers fought while Kamer and Minuk kept the enemies blocked. A victorious win followed by a saddened end of the brother that lost. These statues here today remind us of the battle that changed the whole world, but brought a hero to us all, the first Avatar." Siyu read the inscription causing Renshu to look up at the four leaders.

"I never learned about this battle.. or these people. I wonder what happened.." The waterbender wondered to himself. Siyu didn't answer the rhetorical pondering that his friend was voicing aloud. Instead, he was more focused on the smaller inscription just below the poetic writings that he had just read aloud.

"Kitzu, the power remains. Open the earth that has me chained." Siyu whispered in confusion. Suddenly, the earth began to rumble violently causing the unexpecting Renshu to fall flat on his back while Siyu used his earthbending to stable himself. The earth where that inscription was began to sink down followed by another chain of stairs falling down into a dark tunnel.

"I think I found Kamer's grave." Siyu pointed out the obvious as he stared at Renshu who began walking down the steps of the dark tunnel followed by his hesitant and rather reluctant friend.

...

**Yay! I'm actually back on time and returning back to the groove of things now. Sorry it's later than expected had a family emergency... couldn't upload it any earlier. Sadly the reviews have gone down which means.. Readers have gone down. :( I'm sorry guys. I have been very busy with other very important life long decisions here recently.. yeah... BUT now I'm back and hopefully will continue to be on time from now on. Okay so on to the descussion of this chapter. Turns out that Yue couldn't escape her fate and is now with some Sun guy. Which if you remember from the original fan-fiction. Pi La was the one who was in the five council members AND was the one who was restraining Koh from getting his hands on Katara. He is a hot head, but he is the sun spirit so he should be. Imagine never getting any rest.. that would really stink... Okay so anyway that was a real reality check for Sokka who saw that fate kept them apart. However, he did get to see how much Suki loves him. Basically it was a wake up call for Sokka to enter reality, let go of the past, and move on. Which he is doing. So the question is, Will Suki forgive him? Now, We also have Aang. Who has been preoccupied with Sokka drama, but now what is keeping him from popping the big question to his love? hmmmm ;) Sorry about the lack of kataang in this part...more will come my fellow readers. Now (If you are even reading this stuff with Renshu and Siyu... Which is pretty important for the story line) You can see that I left you guys on a CLIFFHANGER! Although not a bad unbearable one.. like I do with kataangs. I hope you guys are getting interested in the story or rather MYSTERY of Kiroko and the four leaders. Lots more info to come as the story goes on.**

**Thank you all for your fantastic reviews! You guys are awesome! Please continue to let me know what you think! :)**


	10. Chapter 10: The Proposal

**Chapter 10: The Proposal**

**I do not own Avatar**

**Previously on Avatar: The Journey Continues:**

_"It says: Here lies Kamer the Great, the first Fire lord of our beloved Fire Nation. May his name go down in history and legends be told of the distasterous battle that did unfold. May this poem recite to those young and old of the valient leaders who fought in Arsmold. For many a day and night the two brothers fought while Kamer and Minuk kept the enemies blocked. A victorious win followed by a saddened end of the brother that lost. These statues here today remind us of the battle that changed the whole world, but brought a hero to us all, the first Avatar." Siyu read the inscription causing Renshu to look up at the four leaders._

_"I never learned about this battle.. or these people. I wonder what happened.." The waterbender wondered to himself. Siyu didn't answer the rhetorical pondering that his friend was voicing aloud. Instead, he was more focused on the smaller inscription just below the poetic writings that he had just read aloud._

_"Kitzu, the power remains. Open the earth that has me chained." Siyu whispered in confusion. Suddenly, the earth began to rumble violently causing the unexpecting Renshu to fall flat on his back while Siyu used his earthbending to stable himself. The earth where that inscription was began to sink down followed by another chain of stairs falling down into a dark tunnel._

_"I think I found Kamer's grave." Siyu pointed out the obvious as he stared at Renshu who began walking down the steps of the dark tunnel followed by his hesitant and rather reluctant friend._

_..._

_"I give you permission to marry my daughter." Hakoda smiled when giving his approval to his future son-in-law. A huge smile broke out on the relieved airbender's face._

_"Thank you so much Chief Hakoda. I promise I will take good care of Katara in the years to come in our marriage." The avatar managed to say through the excitement._

_..._

_"I had a vision. A vision that led to your ultimate destruction..along with others destruction as well. I come as your friend to warn you, please do not attempt to replay the past. Please do not interefere with the Avatar's life. Do not escape this prison." Jai Li responded causing Kiroko to growl and punch fire out at the tree, but it didn't faze the tree either._

_"That's all I've ever been.. a friend to you." The firebender stated while ignoring everything else that the woman said to him._

_"I must be going... Please take my advice Kiroko.. Leave the Avatar alone.." Jai Li warned before beginning to turn around to walk out of the abyss. After she had taken a few steps, She heard the now soft voice of her old friend begin to speak._

...

**And Now...**

The passage way was narrow, dark, and eerie. The only lighting was the dim and everfading sunlight from the opening of Kamer's grave entrance. Renshu trodded forward with determination and an unwise amount of courage. Nothing seemed to creep him out or make him think of anything but the ruby. Siyu, on the other hand, was the exact opposite. He was scanning the walls for any crawling creatures that loved the solitude of darkness, and his mind kept wandering to the unforseen dangers that may lay ahead for the both of them.

"Ugh.. a dead end..There can't be a dead end.." Renshu huffed when the path ended with a small empty opening. "Siyu, is there any secret opening anywhere?" The waterbender asked his earthbending friend who gave him a crazy look.

"How am I supposed to know. I'm just an average old earthbender. I'm not a Toph Beifong, over here you know." Siyu remarked causing his friend to sigh in frustration.

"There has to be something here." Renshu whispered to himself while feeling on one of the earth walls. The Earthbender simply stood there silently scanning for any spiders that may be crawling on the ceiling. He backed up a little ways and hit into a sticky spider web. This made they young man silently flip out as he swatted and wiped the spider web off of him. He immediatly began scanning for the owner of that web, but after a minute or so of searching, he gave up. Then Siyu felt something; It was something on his shoulder. Slowly, Siyu looked at his left shoulder only to see his worst fear.

"SPIDER!" The Earthbender roared as he began flailing around trying to get the little eight legged creature off of him. In the process of removing the spider, Siyu had fallen through a sheet of earth revealing another passageway. However, Siyu didn't care about the secret passage way that he opened for he was too concerned about the bug. He had managed to knock the spider off his shoulder and was now in the process of screaming and repeatedly slamming a big three hundred pound boulder on the squashed insect.

"Well, it looks like your arachnophobia has come in handy." Renshu commented as he entered into the new tunnel while his partner finally began calming himself down enough to allow his friend to pass by him. He then began carefully following his waterbending friend down that medium sized tunnel. Small clear crystals were lined along the ceilings and walls allowing the two young men to be able to see where they were going. It was a beautiuful sight. After a few minutes of walking down the tunnel, the passageway ended with a huge sealed wooden door. This door had another inscription on it, but it was written in the Elder Language.

"Can you read it?" Renshu asked his companion as the earthbender stepped forward and studied the intricate markings on the door.

"Yeah, it says:_ Kamer's Tomb; Kitzu's Resting Place. The legends of old will long be forgotten. The tales of the battle will be nothing more than a myth yet the story is still true to the end. The Ruby remains as a token from battle. One of the four to seal the door. Inside the room, protectors of the Ruby remain to guard it from those foretold to revive the war. Although they strive to be noble, it will only end in dread. Their hands will be bound and shame on their souls for they shall be decieved in doing wrong instead._ _Head this warning, go on your way lest you recieve this terrible fate. Only the four and controller of the four may enter therein through the barred door. _You know..Renshu, I'm alright with going into some creepy old guys tomb and all, but when it starts talking about a curse and sealing of a terrible fate.. that's a whole different story. " Siyu told his friend who walked up to the door in order to examine it more closely.

"Relax, Siyu. People place these so called warnings in order to scare people off. There is no one in that room that is alive. Muki, himself, told you no one hardly lives here." The waterbender reasoned as he wiped off some dust on the bottom of the door. There he spotted another inscription from the Elder language.

"What does this say?" Renshu inquired causing the reluctant earthbender to walk over and look at the writing.

"It says: _Kitzu, Power of Fire, Awaken._" Right as the words left Siyu's mouth, the entire tunnel began quaking causing even the earthbender to fall down. The wooden door then began to open as a blinding white light filled the dim tunnel.

...

Everything was beautiful, serene, and peaceful as Aang and Katara walked hand-in-hand along the icy shore of the watertribe. It was Aang's idea to take this walk for he had a very special idea in mind. The water softly lapped the seashore as Katara bent up a little bit of water and turned it into a heart. This caused Aang to softly laugh and then give her a kiss on the cheek before stopping and bending up an ice canue.

"Um.. Aang. Why did you make a canoe?" Katara wondered as Aang pulled her into the canoe.

"I'm going to take you somewhere special. Somewhere that we haven't been in many years." Was Aang's simple reply before bending the water with a quick splash and causing the small canoe to blast off. Katara, who had now grown accustomed to the airbender's speed, laughed and screamed while holding on to her boyfriend's chest. Not even five minutes went by before Aang halted the canoe next to a large glacier that was cracked open. Just the sight of it made Katara and Aang smile. There was no mistaking where they were. It was the place where their journey began. For Aang, it was a place that he had fell in love with the most amazing girl.

"This is a wonderful place." Katara stated with a dreamy smile as she walked over to where she had first saw Appa. Aang slowly walked up beside her with the same dreamy smile on his face.

"Yes it is, my love." He agreed while looking over at her. Katara also looked at her boyfriend with a huge smile.

"So why did you bring me here?" The waterbender asked Aang who immediately became very nervous. This was it. This was the moment that he had spent months preparing for and stressing over. With an uneasy sigh, the brave young Avatar took ahold of his girlfriends hand.

"Actually..I.. I have a question that I wanted to ask you." Aang started as his heart beated violently in his chest.

"Oh..okay. What do you want to ask me?" Katara wondered, clearly oblivious to Aang's nervousness. The young airnomad then took a deep breath before beginning.

"Katara, ever since the first day that I have met you, you have been by my side. You have believed in me from day one and have always encouraged me to believe in myself. You have fought along my side through the worst of times, and have loved me even in my most darkest times. You taught me to never give up on what I believe in. You have been my strength when I am down. When I was facing Ozai at Sozin's Comet, you were my inspiration to get me through the battle. You were my drive to keep me pushing through that time. Whenever I faced Shino, you were the person who gave me the strength to persevere. Katara, you are my strength. I can't imagine living life without you. Whenever Koh and Shino both threatened to kill you and take you from me.. I couldn't bear it. I need you, Katara... and those experiences have made me really think about us... about our future. I realized that without you by my side, I am worthless. Without you, I'm just some kid. Without you, I would have no purpose. Katara, without you I couldn't survive. I need you. I want you.. I want you to be with me for the rest of my lifetime.. for the rest of my days and after. I want to grow old with you, Katara. I want to be the Father of your children. I want to be your husband.. your soulmate." Aang confessed as he dropped down on one knee and took out the beautiful betrothal necklace that he had made.

"Katara of the Sourthern Watertribe, My love..my life.. Will you make me the happiest man in the world? Will you marry me? Will you be my wife?" The Avatar asked in a confident voice although his hand shook like he was holding up the entire city of Ba Sing Se. Katara stood silently shocked. For a second, all she did was stare at Aang. A few more seconds passed by before tears of joy began streaming down her face, a huge smile formed on her face, and she tackled Aang to the ground in a deep passionate kiss.

"Yes, Yes, YES Aang! I will marry you." Katara exclaimed in sheer joy before Aang wrapped his arms around his fiance and kissed her passionately. Everything was perfect as both lovers spilled out their love for eachother through their kisses.

"Oh Aang, I love you.. I love you so much." Katara whispered as she leaned her head into his chest. This made the avatar smile sweetly at her.

"I love you too, My Love." The Air Nomad responded before giving his future wife another kiss. After that small kiss, Katara sat up and looked at the necklace that Aang still had in his hand. Seeing that she was looking at it, Aang handed the necklace over to it's new owner.

"It's beautiful, Aang. It love it." The waterbender told her future husband as she ran her fingers over the stone before reaching up and taking off her Mother's necklace. "Will you put it on me?" Katara then asked Aang who nodded his head 'yes' and grabbed the necklace.

After a second, the necklace was now neatly fastened to Katara's neck. The Avatar looked at it and sighed. It fit her perfectly and contrasted beautifully with her skin and eyes... Just like he had envisioned. Katara, who was still smiling brightly, leaned back into the airnomad's chest.

'The world is finally at peace and harmony. Now it's time to begin building our life, and It's going to be great life.' Aang thought to himself as he craddled Katara closer into his arms.

...

Jai Li sat down in a beautiful meadow next to a crystal clear river. A smile was on her face as she felt the warmth and excitement course through her body. It was a feeling that never got old. A feeling that she had felt at least a thousand times, but never tired of. However, she also felt a different feeling. A feeling of dark power closing in closer and closer. No doubt Kiroko already had the two men out searching for the gems. She could feel that they were close to the presence of the fire gem...Now a new danger was upon them all, and now it affected another life.

"Jai Li, what brings you here?" Rui Zi asked her dear and old friend who greeted her with a hug.

"It's time." Was Jai Li's simple response. This caused Rui Zi to look at her friend in surprise. "Darkness is closing in. She needs to be informed. She needs to know who I am." Jai Li continued as her friend looked down at the ground.

"Jai Li, you can't really make a connection with her yet. I'm afraid that I am limited on what I can do to help you for the time being. I can allow you to send her visions of the past in dreams explaining some things, but Aagi gave me strict orders in order to insure both you and the girls safety." The Spirit of life stated causing Jai Li to sigh.

"I am well aware of his orders... As long as I can give her some type of visions until the appropriate time comes..then that will be fine." The beautiful woman stated as Rui Zi smiled at her.

"Great..tonight we will give her the first vision. What would you like for her to see?" Rui Zi inquired before her friend looked out into the water.

"The beggining of it all." Jai Li answered with a solemn expression.

...

**Okay, I am so sorry this has been another week since I have updated. Still had family issues come up last week and have been helping out with that. SO To make up for it...I gave ya'll... THE PROPOSAL! I hope you guys liked it! Plus we are seeing more from Siyu and Renshu. I hope a little more of Siyu's personality shined through. We see that he is deathly afraid of spiders so I thought that was funny. We also hear more from Jai Li. This mystery woman who seems to have many of you fellow readers interest.. hmmmm... We will be learning more about this beautiful woman in future chapters. We will also be seeing more from Azula, Toph, OnJi, Ty Lee, Ning Li, and the rest of the gaang in later chapters as well. THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR AWESOME REVIEWS! YOU GUYS ARE THE BOMB! Hopefully I can update more frequently. If circumstances do not allow me too, then I will see ya'll next Tuesday!... hopefully.**


	11. Chapter 11: Making Amends

**Chapter 11: Making Amends**

**I do NOT own Avatar.**

**Previously on Avatar: The Journey Continues…**

_"Can you read it?" Renshu asked his companion as the earthbender stepped forward and studied the intricate markings on the door._

_"Yeah, it says: Kamer's Tomb; Kitzu's Resting Place. The legends of old will long be forgotten. The tales of the battle will be nothing more than a myth yet the story is still true to the end. The Ruby remains as a token from battle. One of the four to seal the door. Inside the room, protectors of the Ruby remain to guard it from those foretold to revive the war. Although they strive to be noble, it will only end in dread. Their hands will be bound and shame on their souls for they shall be decieved in doing wrong instead. Head this warning, go on your way lest you recieve this terrible fate. Only the four and controller of the four may enter therein through the barred door. You know..Renshu, I'm alright with going into some creepy old guys tomb and all, but when it starts talking about a curse and sealing of a terrible fate.. that's a whole different story. " Siyu told his friend who walked up to the door in order to examine it more closely._

_"Relax, Siyu. People place these so called warnings in order to scare people off. There is no one in that room that is alive. Muki, himself, told you no one hardly lives here." The waterbender reasoned as he wiped off some dust on the bottom of the door. There he spotted another inscription from the Elder language. _

_"What does this say?" Renshu inquired causing the reluctant earthbender to walk over and look at the writing._

_"It says: Kitzu, Power of Fire, Awaken." Right as the words left Siyu's mouth, the entire tunnel began quaking causing even the earthbender to fall down. The wooden door then began to open as a blinding white light filled the dim tunnel._

_…_

_"Jai Li.. What are you doing here?" Kiroko asked in a unusually soft compassionate voice as he stood and walked closer to the young woman who remained perfectly still._

_"I have come with a warning, Kiroko." Was the woman's monotone response. Tears still misted her eyes as the horrid memories continued to play through her mind. The devestation, the loss, and the friendships broken plagued her so that all she could think about was leaving. The firebender immediatly stopped when hearing Jai Li's answer._

_"What kind of warning?" Kiroko inquired, his face returning to a grave and angered look._

_"I had a vision. A vision that led to your ultimate destruction..along with others destruction as well. I come as your friend to warn you, please do not attempt to replay the past. Please do not interefere with the Avatar's life. Do not escape this prison." Jai Li responded causing Kiroko to growl and punch fire out at the tree, but it didn't faze the tree either._

_"That's all I've ever been.. a friend to you." The firebender stated while ignoring everything else that the woman said to him._

_"I must be going... Please take my advice Kiroko.. Leave the Avatar alone.." Jai Li warned before beginning to turn around to walk out of the abyss. After she had taken a few steps, She heard the now soft voice of her old friend begin to speak._

…..

**And Now….**

He was nervous to say the least, but he knew he had to do it. Shouts from the young Avatar fan girls squealed as they saw Appa flying over to their village. A small crowd of people circled around where the mighty beast was landing in hopes of talking with the Avatar. The young love struck girls were in the front with huge smiles and giggles. Sokka then took a deep breath and stood up on Appa's head.

"Hey, Where's Aangy?" One of the little girls asked Sokka while crossing her pudgy little arms.

"Sorry girls. Aang's not here today. It's just me." The water tribe warrior responded causing a stream of 'Awww's' to come from the Avatar fanatics. Once everyone heard Sokka's answer, they all returned to their business leaving the neglected hero with a frown on his face. After a small grumble, the young man climbed off of Appa and began walking towards the Kyoshi Warrior's headquarters. After a few minutes' walk, he was finally at the doorstep of where they train at. The door was surprisingly closed though. This was strange behavior for the girls who generally loved the fresh air. It seemed as if no one was there. Sokka then decided to place a small knock on the door which no one answered. He began to grow impatient after a few seconds and began vigorously pounding on the door with his fists. This time he received the outcome that he wanted. A Kyoshi warrior came to the front door and peeked it open. It was someone that Sokka knew very well. It was Ty Lee.

"Sokka, what are you doing here?" The surprised and slightly annoyed acrobat asked her friend who stood awkwardly at the door.

"I came to speak with Suki." Was Sokka's reply as he tried to enter into the doorway only to have Ty Lee block his way.

"I don't think that is a good idea. Suki isn't seeing anyone right now. Especially not heartless meanies like you." The former circus performer's voice was stern and upset. It actually caught the water tribe warrior off guard.

"Ty Lee, Listen to me. I just need to speak with her. I realized some things. I need to apologize for my actions. I need to make things right. Please.. let me in. Please." Sokka begged Ty Lee who sighed in defeat.

"Okay, but if she tries to kill you.. I'm not going to save you." The acrobat told her friend in a confident tone before opening the door and allowing Sokka to enter. "She's down the hallway in the last room to the right." Ty Lee informed while closing the door behind them.

"Thanks Ty Lee. You're the best." Sokka thanked his friend while ignoring the evil glares from the other Kyoshi warriors and running down the hall to Suki's room. After a few seconds, the young man stood behind the door the kept the two apart. Fear and anxiety gripped at the water tribe warrior as he gulped and took a deep breath. Slowly he reached his hand up and opened the door. The room was dark since the curtains were still closed. It was also a wreck and looked nothing like he was used to seeing. There was a silhouetted figure laying curled up in a ball on the small twin sized bed.

"Suki." Sokka whispered in a remorseful way when seeing what he had done to the poor girl. The figure sat up for a second and growled when noticing who it was.

"Go.. Away.." Suki ordered before falling back down on the bed. This made Sokka only walk closer to the bedside.

"No.. I already did that once. I'm not doing it again." He replied before quickly dodging a brush that was thrown towards his face.

"GO AWAY SOKKA! I DON'T WANT TO HEAR ANYTHING MORE FROM YOU, YOU PATHETIC NO GOOD.."

"Jerk..I know.. I am the biggest jerk in the world. I'm the stupidest one too. I..I don't know what I was thinking when I left you here. I don't know what I was thinking when I treated you so badly. I guess my guilt got ahold of me. My sense of duty..of loyalty got ahold of me. I was confused. I know that you don't want to see me. I know that you don't want to hear what I say. I know that you probably don't want anything to do with me. Please just hear me out. Let me explain, and if you still want me to leave then I will go." Sokka stated while standing next to the bed where Suki was now sitting up on. Her hair was in complete disarray, her makeup was all smeared on her face, and she was still wearing the beautiful green party dress.

"You have a few minutes to explain yourself before I kill you." The Kyoshi Leader responded in a cold heartbroken tone. This made a few drops of perspiration form on Sokka's forehead as he cleared his throat.

"Thank you… Suki, do you remember the night that we were in the Serpent's Pass and you tried to kiss me?" The young man started causing the warrior to shake her head 'yes' before he continued on. "I told you that I couldn't protect someone who was my responsibility.. well, I never told you the story behind it, simply because it was too painful. Now I believe that you deserve an explanation. Her name was Yue… She was the princess of our sister tribe, The Northern Water Tribe. She was my first love… We really cared for eachother, and her father told me to look out for her… to protect her. Whenever this crazy guy, Zho, killed the moon spirit, Yue gave up her life to become the moon spirit. Whenever she was a baby, the moon spirit had given her life, and at that moment she returned it. It was the hardest most vulnerable feeling to lose someone I loved like that… To watch them sacrifice their life right in front of you. Ever since then, I felt this obligation to her. This duty to remain hers… to not marry. I was confused on what the right thing to do is. I was worried that if I married someone else or gave my heart to someone else.. that it would break her even more. I didn't know what to do. I needed to find out for myself, and I did. I realized that I may have lost my first love, but I have always had my true love. Right here next to me since the beginning. Suki, I'm sorry that I treated you so terribly. I'm sorry that I didn't give you my heart. I'm sorry that I wouldn't agree to marry you. I'm sorry that I hurt you. I want you to know.. That.. Suki of Kyoshi Island.. I love you.. I truly love you. I understand if you will not forgive me and take me back. I've really been stupid. I guess that's just what I wanted to say.. I guess I'll leave you alone now." Sokka explained as tears began falling visibly down his face. He then stood up and began to walk towards the door.

"Sokka.." Suki's semi-urgent voice broke the silence causing the young man to turn around and face the girl who was now standing up and walking towards him. "I..I do forgive you.. I.. I do understand what you were going through. I wish you would have told me.. I wish you would have been straight forward with me, but I'm glad you are now.. Sokka.. I love you too, and I want you back. My life has been miserable without you. I've felt completely alone and like I was going crazy.. Please.. don't leave me again." Suki said to her boyfriend who smile widely and picked her up before kissing her passionately.

"Thank you Suki. Thank you. I love you Suki. I love you." Sokka told the beautiful girl before picking her up and setting her down on the bed where her all to eager arms drew him close. Up in the sun, Pi La and Yue watched with smiles as the two lovers made amends.

….

The flash of light was blinding to Renshu and Siyu who covered their eyes from the bright rays. A huge warmth filtered through the tunnel in a burst of air causing both men to fall back on their backs. Smoke filled the room causing both men to cough violently. Flames licked the outpost of the door as a huge roar shook the entire tunnel.

"What is that?" Siyu asked amidst his violent coughing. Another large roar shook the tunnel again followed by a huge fireball blasting towards the unexpecting young men. Immediately, Renshu drew water from the air and counteracted the blast while Siyu struggled to stabilize the earth. As Siyu struggled to stabilize the room, he noticed something. He noticed shiny dark blue scales standing in the entrance. Immediately, the earthbender figured out what those shiny scales belonged too.

"DRAGON! RENSHU.. A DRAGON! YOU OPENED UP THE DOOR TO A DRAGON!" The Earthbender screamed in horror before dodging out of the way of another fireblast. The earth rumbled again causing bolder sized earth to fall on to the ground. Siyu created a covering of earth over both himself and his partner as Renshu continued fearlessly fighting off the merciless flames.

"Renshu, We need to get out of here!" The Earthbender stated over the crackling of the fire.

"No not without the ruby." Was the waterbender's reply before running off into the flames. Siyu stood there silently a moment before shaking his head and running in after his friend. The fire and smoke created a nearly blinding and choking atmosphere as Siyu tried to find his friend. Load roars from the beast shook the ground as the Earthbender continued persevering through.

"RENSHU, WHERE ARE YOU?" Siyu screamed while throwing up an earth wall to block a blast of fire.

"UP HERE!" A slightly worried voice answered from up above him.

"What are you doing up there?" The earthbender wondered as he earthbended himself up to see his friend hanging upside down with his hands dangling in the air.

"Oh, Nothing. Just hangin around." Renshu responded sarcastically causing Siyu to roll his eyes. He then took a sharp rock and sliced through the rope that had his friend held captive. Renshu smiled as a thank you before dodging another fire blast from the guardian of the ruby.

"We have to figure out a way to get around this fire breathing beast!" Siyu stated before Renshu thought of something.

"Siyu, Close him in with earth!" The water bender ordered causing his friend to look at him like he was crazy.

"This is a 10 ton fire breathing DRAGON! How can I just close him off?" The Earth bender asked as he built another earth wall to block another fierce blast.

"Dragons have a blind spot right by their ears. If you get in his blind spot you can hit him in the wings. That'd the dragons most vulnerable point. Close off his wings and legs, that will give us enough time to get the Ruby and get out of here! I'll distract him while you go get in it's blind spot. HURRY!" Renshu explained before his friend nodded his head and ran towards the beast.

"Hey, Dragon! Over Here!" Renshu screamed as he drew some water from the air and splashed the beast in the face with it. That action made the dragon even more angry as it breathed out pools of fire. The waterbender counteracted the blast with some ice water before dodging another fireblast. In the meantime, Siyi was racing against time and trying to calm his nerves down in order to let his chakra flow freely. He was now in the furious beasts blind spot. Taking a long slow deep breath, Siyu summoned his element to him. The earth rumbled as huge boulders lifted out of the sides of the tunnel. A determined yell could be heard above the commotion as house sized boulders crashed into the surprised dragon. A shriek of pain ran through tunnel as the dragon crashed up against the wall. It's wings were barred, feet trapped in the earth, tail locked down, and mouth muzzled. The dragon laid there completely immobilized for the time.

"Good job, Siyu. I knew you could do it. Now let's go find that ruby." Renshu praised his friend as he ran into the tomb that the dragon used to be guarding. The tomb was a decent size. It had elaborate painting surrounding it with torches lighting up the room. A small set of stairs descended to a circular platform where Kamer's casket sat. It was made if pure gold with inscriptions written all over it. The rest of the room was empty so Renshu immediately made his way to the casket.

"Siyu, what does this say?" The waterbender inquired as his friend walked up behind him.

"If there is a creepy spirit or another 'extinct' animal in here.. Your on your own." Siyi commented before reluctantly bending down and reading the inscription. "_Resting place of Fire Lord Kamer... Valiant Warrior.. Esteemed leader... Friend of the one who controls four... Guardian of fire..."_

"How do we open it?" Renshu interrupted as he impatiently pushed and pulled on the casket. Siyu then sighed and read one last inscription that was underneath the other inscription.

"_Ruby of Fire, Shining so bright, Open your fire, send forth your light."_ With that chant the casket burst open in a wave of fire revealing the corpse of Kamer. Siyu took a giant leap backwards as he yelped, gagged, and freaked over the body of the dead guy. Renshu on the other hand paid no attention to the body, but on the glowing red orb in his right skeleton hand. Immediately, Renshu pried it out of the man's hand and held the ruby in his own hand causing his friend to gag some more. However, Renshu ignored his friend's disapproval and studied the ancient gem. Suddenly, the ruby lit up in a red shining light enveloping the young waterbender. Power surged through Renshu's veins as the brightness increased. In a flash, the light disappeared leaving Renshu on the ground with the Ruby in his hand.

"Renshu! Renshu, are you okay? What happened?" His earthbending partner exclaimed as he ran over and helped his friend up to his feet.

"I'm not sure..." Was the waterbender's reply before a large crack was heard from outside the room. That sound was followed by the enraged roar of the dragon.

"Let's get out if here." The waterbender suggested as he began heading back towards the entrance of the room.. Just then, fire spewed into the tomb as an angry dragon barred the door.

"Renshu! Hang on!" Siyu ordered before grabbing his friend and shooting up into the earth above them. After a few seconds, the two men were at the top of the earth while closing the earth behind them. Both men fought to catch their breath after the huge scare as they both stood to their feet.

"Well, are you to adventurers done digging in the ground?" Miki asked the two men causing them to turn around to see that they had shot up at the docking area of the island.

"Yes, we are done. We are ready to leave." Siyu responded quickly before running into the boat followed by Renshu who held onto the Ruby in his pocket as he felt this extreme power course through his veins.

...

Aang and Katara walked hand in hand down by the sea shore of the village. The young couple had been walking on air as they talked about plans of the wedding and their future. Everything seemed perfect.

"You know... It's been forever since we've sparred together... Want to face your waterbending master in a duel?" Katara asked playfully as she backed away from the Avatar.

"How could I refuse?" The airnomad replied playfully before getting in his battle stance.

"Do your worst, Pupil Aang." The waterbender challenged as she created the famous octopus form.

"Okay Sifu Katara I wi-Ah!" Aang exclaimed as he suddenly grabbed his head and fell to the ground in pain.

"AANG!" Katara screamed as she rushed to his side. "Aang! What's wrong?" The tired airnomad then leaned limply up against his fiancée's chest.

"I...I don't know.. I just had this huge pain shoot through my body. It started from my head and coursed down.. Then I just fell weak... It was like... Like power was being taken from me..." Aang responded as Katara helped him up to his feet and ushered you to the house.

"You need to get some rest..." She stated on the way to the home as a sickening feeling began to envelope her. Jai Li stood there watching Katara carry Aang back to the house. A grieved look was on her beautiful delicate face. Rui Zi stood next to her with a shocked expression on her face.

"I didn't know that the Gems affected the Avatar's health." The Life spirit stated as Jai Li looked down at the ground.

"It affects far more than just his health.. Please.. Will you send for Aagi... I need to speak with him." The beautiful woman asked causing Rui Zi to nod her head 'yes'.

"I will be back as soon as I can." The spirit added to her silent response before taking off back to the spirit world in search for the male spirit.

"Oh Kiroko... If only you would have listened..." Jai Li whispered before she too vanished back to the spirit world.

...

**Okay so first off once again I am Ssoooooooo sorry it has taken me this long to update. My life has been Hectic. Here recently. Job searching, college preparing, babysitting, chores, writers block, and trying to find time to spend with my boyfriend all make it difficult to update on time. So I am really sorry! I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Good to see Sukka back in the picture again and now the first gem has been stolen... Uhhh Ohhhhhhh! Not good.. Hope you liked this chapter! Thanks for all your reviews! You guys are the BOMB! ^_^ oh and to answer the question about if there is going to be a honey moon chapter with lemon in it.. The answer is No... I can't get myself to write about that stuff. Plus I would feel awful if there were underaged readers reading that stuff. O_o No... Sorry guys. There are plenty of stories with lemon all in it, but this story is not one of them. Please review!' :)**

**ATTENTION EVERYONE!**

**WaterKatara has done an AWESOME drawing of Katara and Aang dancing from the previous story Avatar: The Journey Begins! She is also doing an awesome kataang comic of her own. CHECK HER OUT! Here is the link to her Deviantart page. (Take the Spaces out and paste on your url.)**

** water katara. deviantart **

**ALSO if anyone is wanting a picture of what Renshu, Siyu, and the other characters look like. Check out my (Not as awesome) DeviantArt page.**

** brunette angel95. devian tart **

**ALSO!**

**AS YOU ALL KNOW FANFICTION HAS A NEW IMAGE MANAGER ON HERE FOR COVERS FOR THE STORIES! I WOULD LOVE TO HAVE A COVER FOR THESE STORIES. IF THERE ARE ANY ARTIST READING THIS THAT WOULD LIKE TO DRAW A COVER FOR THIS STORY OR EVEN THE PREVIOUS STORY THEN PLEASE PRIVATE MESSAGE ME OR MESSAGE ME ON DEVIANTART! THANK YOU GUYS!**

**:D**


	12. Chapter 12:The Dream

**Chapter 12- The Dream**

**I do not own atla**

**Previously on Avatar: The Journey Continues…**

_"Okay Sifu Katara I wi-Ah!" Aang exclaimed as he suddenly grabbed his head and fell to the ground in pain._

_"AANG!" Katara screamed as she rushed to his side. "Aang! What's wrong?" The tired airnomad then leaned limply up against his fiancée's chest._

_"I...I don't know.. I just had this huge pain shoot through my body. It started from my head and coursed down.. Then I just fell weak... It was like... Like power was being taken from me..." Aang responded as Katara helped him up to his feet and ushered you to the house._

_"You need to get some rest..." She stated on the way to the home as a sickening feeling began to envelope her._

_…_

_"Jai Li, what brings you here?" Rui Zi asked her dear and old friend who greeted her with a hug._

_"It's time." Was Jai Li's simple response. This caused Rui Zi to look at her friend in surprise. "Darkness is closing in. She needs to be informed. She needs to know who I am." Jai Li continued as her friend looked down at the ground._

_"Jai Li, you can't really make a connection with her yet. I'm afraid that I am limited on what I can do to help you for the time being. I can allow you to send her visions of the past in dreams explaining some things, but Aagi gave me strict orders in order to insure both you and the girls safety." The Spirit of life stated causing Jai Li to sigh. _

_"I am well aware of his orders... As long as I can give her some type of visions until the appropriate time comes..then that will be fine." The beautiful woman stated as Rui Zi smiled at her._

_"Great..tonight we will give her the first vision. What would you like for her to see?" Rui Zi inquired before her friend looked out into the water._

_"The beggining of it all." Jai Li answered with a solemn expression._

**And Now…**

It bothered her. Everything about it bothered her. Ever since Aang had mysteriously fallen in pain earlier that day, Katara couldn't stop being worried.

"He seems fine." She silently reasoned to herself as she watched her fiancé, father, and mother talk around the dinner table about the world issues and the construction on the Republic City. However, she knew that Aang was far from fine. His whole mannerisms had changed. He carried himself more sluggish and it just seemed that the fire inside of him had weakened. No one else noticed it, but Katara had. It was a trait in Aang that she found attractive. When he had finally mastered firebending, his whole body held this constant warmth and vibrancy that always mesmerized her. However, now it was like it was fading. Even his coloration was a tad bit more pale than usual.

"I wonder what happened…" The waterbender continued thinking as she stared off into the wall that was next to her.

"Katara…Katara..Katara!" Her father called out causing the distracted girl to jump out of her thought and look at Hakoda who was looking at her in concern.

"Huh?" The waterbender replied as her father continued staring at her.

"You seem really quiet tonight. You've actually seemed quiet for majority of this afternoon. Is everything okay?" Hakoda asked in concern causing Katara to look over at Aang who seemed to understand what she was distracted about.

"I'm fine Dad..really. It's just there are so many different changes happening all at once that it's hard for me not to think about them, and with the wedding coming up I have a lot to think about." Katara answered vaguely.

"I'm sure the wedding preparations have you thinking about a lot of things. It will all be okay though. Your mother was the same exact way whenever we were engaged." The Chief reminisced with a laugh as he looked at his wife who gave him a cheerful smile.

"Oh yes, I would sit out by the window just thinking up all kinds of plans and decorations for our wedding. It was something I will never forget. It's a very exciting yet stressful time." Kaya agreed with a small giggle.

"Yes it is." Was Katara's simple response before standing up and stretching. "I think I'm going to go to bed early tonight….All of this uh.. Wedding planning is making me tired. Goodnight." With those last words, Katara walked out of the dining room and out towards her bedroom.

"I think I'm going to go to sleep as well, Chief Hakoda and Lady Kaya. I'm pretty tired too." Aang stated before getting up and excusing himself from the table as well.

"Oh the joys of wedding planning." Hakoda laughed whenever Aang had disappeared out of the room. Kaya hugged her husband before laughing and nodding her head in agreement.

…..

"Katara.." Aang said as he slowly opened up the door to her room only to find her in a flowing white night gown looking out into the night. She didn't seem to hear him or notice him at all. It was like she was trapped in a whole other world. "Katara." The Avatar repeated, this time catching his beautiful fiancé's attention.

"Oh, Aang. I didn't hear you come in. How are you feeling?" The young waterbender asked in a concerned voice as her lover approached her.

"I still feel a little tired, but other than that I'm fine. You don't need to worry, my Love. I'm fine. I know that what happened back there at the shore was scary, but I promise everything is under control." The airnomad comforted as he took his lovers hands in his own. Katara sighed when he said that.

"Aang, I can't help but worry about you. You were in so much pain and were so weak. I can't help but wonder what if it's a spirit doing something to you. What if it's Koh?" Katara's face turned to more horror when thinking about the face stealer. She was about to go on when Aang leaned in and silenced her with a sweet lingering kiss. After he felt that she was calm enough to listen, the avatar pulled away and caressed the side of her face with his thumb.

"Relax Katara. Koh is destroyed. He doesn't have his powers anymore. I will go first thing in the morning and talk with Roku. He will probably be able to explain what is going on with me. Who knows, maybe it's just growth spurts or something. I am getting older. Maybe every Avatar goes through these times where the powers increase or something. It's all going to be okay, my Love. I want you to rest and not worry about anything besides planning the wedding. Goodnight, my future wife." Aang stated before giving Katara another lingering kiss and walking out the door to go to his own room.

"Goodnight Aang." Katara responded before taking a deep breath and laying down on her bed. 'Maybe Aang's right. Maybe it is just Avatar Growth Spurts' The waterbender thought to herself before falling into a deep sleep.

_Katara then found herself standing in a very familiar place. The bright green grass, crystal clear river, and beautiful flowers left no doubt in her mind of where she was at. _

_"Rui Zi! Rui Zi are you here? Hello? Is anyone here?" Katara called out as she began walking closer to the river suddenly a dense fog arose and surrounded her to where she couldn't see anything. Suddenly, voices could be heard among the smoke. It sounded like children playing._

_"Catch me if you can!" A little boy cried out playfully followed by the sound of rushing air._

_"Come back here! That's cheating!" Another little boy demanded before the sound of Earth shook._

_"He always cheats." Another boy voice chimed in before the sound of fire was heard. Immediately the fog was blown away revealing a small village with log cabins everywhere. The earth was filled with vibrant green grass and beautiful trees. The village was near the ocean which was crystal clear revealing the many different colorful fish and sea life. Everything looked so peaceful and so beautiful. Katara's attention soon fell on the three little children playing. The two boys looked around the age of 10 while the little girl looked about 8. They were playing near the ocean. As Katara had suspected, the first little boy was an airbender. He was the cutest little thing with full dark brown hair, stormy grey eyes, and a porcelain complexion. Katara couldn't help but note how alike Aang and this little boy looked. The other little boy was a firebender shooting out little puffs of fire at the airbending boy who swiftly dodged the blows. This little boy had a wide smile on his face, his eyes were amber, his hair was black as night, and his complexion was pale like the airbenders. The Last boy had dark brown hair as well, he was stalky, had green eyes, and a pale complexion as well. There was also a little girl simply standing watching the three boys fight. She had an olive complexion, deep blue eyes, and shoulder length wavy black hair. She was an adorable little girl. One thing really stood out to Katara about these children. That was that they all wore similar clothes. It was a mixture of all of the element colors. The girl's outfit was mainly blue, the lining was yellow, the pants were green and her shoes where a dark red. The Airbenders outfit was mainly yellow with a blue hem, green pants, and dark red shoes. The firebender's outfit was mainly dark red with brown hem, blue pants, and yellow shoes. The earthbending boy wore a green outfit with blue hem, yellow pants, and dark red shoes. They were very interesting outfits, but they seemed to represent something. They seemed to represent a unity between all nations._

_"Aagi! Come back here and fight me!" The little firebender ordered playfully causing the airbender to laugh and circle back around toward his friend. _

_"Yeah, come fight us!" The earthbending boy agreed while picking up small fist sized boulders and throwing them towards the boy. Aagi simply dodge them with ease before twirling around and blasting both boys off their feet. _

_"Score 1 for the AIRBENDER! Score 0 for Earth and Fire!" Aagi exclaimed as the two boys groaned. The two young boys then stood up only to end up falling back on their backs from another airbending attack from their friend. This caused the little girl to begin giggling. All three boys then turned and looked at the girl._

_"Who are you?" The airbender asked as he practically flew over to the girl followed by his other friends._

_"I'm Jai Li. Who are you?" The sweet high pitched voice of the girl answered as she flashed a bright smile at the boy that Aagi returned. Katara couldn't help but notice that those two had a connection; however, it just seemed like a friendship._

_"I'm Aagi. This is Minuk and Kiroko." The airbender answered as he pointed to the earthbender and then firebender. Minuk waved with a sheepish smile while Kiroko merely crossed his arms._

_"What are you doing here?" Kiroko rudely asked the young girl while trying to look big and tough._

_"I wanted to play." Was Jai Li's simple answer. This caused Kiroko to violently shake his head 'no'._

_"We don't let just anybody play with us. You have to be strong and tough to play with us." The firebender stated proudly._

_"Yeah." Minuk agreed with him before looking at Aagi for approval. The airbender simply remained silent as he stared at the young girl who was frowning._

_"I'm strong." Jai Li responded boldly before the two little boys started laughing. This time Aagi smiled, not in a mocking way, in an impressed way. Even in his young age, the young airbender seemed to be able to see something special about this little blue eyed girl._

_"No you're not! You're just a little girl! Go play with your dolly." Kiroko mocked before turning around to go back to his side of the pretend battle area. _

_"I'm not a little girl!" Jai Li screamed in anger before bending some water and shoving it into Kiroko's back causing him to fall over. A loud groan came from the fallen firebender as the two other boys stood with their mouths agape at the sudden attack._

_"Hey! That's not nice!" Minuk stated as he picked up a bolder in order to avenge his friend; however, before he could shoot it, Jai Li shot him into Kiroko with a small waterblast. Aagi watched in fascination as she put the water back into the ocean with a huff._

_"Wow! How did you do that?" The airbender wondered causing Jai Li to turn her attention to the wide eyed boy. She was silent a moment while making sure that Minuk and Kiroko didn't try and attack again. Once she was content that the two little boys were done fighting, she answered her new friend._

_"I'm a waterbender." The young girl answered as Minuk and Kiroko stood up and walked over to her._

_"I've heard about waterbender's but we've never had one here before." The earthbender said with a very curious expression on his face. It seemed as if the little guy had switched from Kiroko's side to Aagi's side. He seemed to like the little girl now. The ferocious firebender also seemed to have more respect for the little waterbender after getting his butt handed to him._

_"We just moved here from the far south. Daddy wanted to get us closer to the United Kingdom." Jai Li told the boys whose eyes all widened in even more fascination and curiosity._

_"Wow! I've heard stories about the far south! Is it really just snow and Ice down there?" Kiroko wondered, his big tough guy facade forgotten. Jai Li simply shook her head 'yes' and answered all the questions that the boys had. After the little boys were content with all the information about the waterbenders and the far south, Jai Li asked her question that she had been wanting answered since she had seen them playing._

_"Can I play with you guys now?" The waterbender inquired with a hopeful smile. This made the boys stare at eachother before shaking their heads 'yes' and returning the smile._

_"Yeah, I guess you seem tough enough to play with us, but I'm warning you. We don't go easy on anyone… not even girls." Kiroko answered before crossing his arms again and walking back to take his position in the pretending battlefield. _

_"She is on my team!" Aagi randomly yelled before grabbing the surprised girl's hand and airbending them both over to his side of the battlefield._

_Katara watched all of this in wonder. Why was she seeing this? Who were these children? What is going on? All of these questions shot through Katara''s mind as she watched the children play. Then, as if on cue, a dense smoke surrounded her blocking her view of everything. Once the smoke cleared, Katara was in the same town at the same place. The village had grown in size and looked a little more modern in design. A few of the houses were made out of earth instead of logs, and the streets were neatly compacted. There were even a few small stores and a food market._

_"Jai Li! Wait up!" A concerned baritone voice called out capturing Katara's attention. Over by the river, stood a beautiful young woman around the age of sixteen along the sea shore. She wore the same clothes type clothes as she did when she was younger. Her eyes were still a beautiful blue, that held spunk yet maturity in them. Running up behind her was a semi-muscular young man around 18 with dark black hair and stormy grey eyes. Katara knew instantly that it was Aagi the airbender._

_"Are you okay?" Aagi asked in concern as the waterbender turned and looked at him. He seemed to have a deep care for the girl. Katara assumed that he was in love with her based on the way he was looking at her._

_"Yes, I am fine. This just isn't easy news to hear, Aagi. How is this going to affect our world? How is this going to affect our lives..the group…us?" The young lady responded, her voice sounded deeply worried. _

_"It's all going to be okay. The spirit's know what they are doing assigning us these tasks. I promise that this isn't going to change anything. If anything, it's going to bring the group closer.. us closer." The airbender replied in a soothing voice before pulling Jai Li into a heartfelt embrace._

_"I hope I'm not interrupting anything, but Jai Li, the leader needs to see you." An amber eyed, muscular young man interrupted the sweet moment causing Jai Li to step away from Aagi's arms and silently walk back towards the house of the leader. _

_"So.. That was interesting news our leader gave us, huh." Aagi said after a short silence between the two men. Kiroko looked at the ground and nodded his head 'yes'._

_"Yeah... It's hard for any of us to swallow... When are you going to start training?" Kiroko responded while finally looking over at his friend who sighed._

_"They want to send me away next week..." Aagi answered in a disheartened tone. This made the firebender look back at the ground. Katara couldn't help but take a step closer to the men in curiosity. It was obvious that they couldn't see here anyway._

_"Where will you go first?" Kiroko sounded saddened as well, and Katara found herself becoming even more curious as to what they were talking about._

_"I'm going to the Far South to begin my training there. Then to the Mountain Region, and lastly the Volcano Islands." The airbender replied with another deep and heavy sigh._

_"Wow... How long do you think it will take to complete your training?" This question hung in the air for a moment before the airbender responded in almost a whisper._

_"The Leader said that it will more than likely take four years to complete.." Aagi told his friend before turning around and facing the ocean. Both men were quiet for a few minutes before Aagi continued speaking._

_"Kiroko, can I ask a favor of you?" The airbender inquired as his friend turned to face him._

_"Of course...Anything." The firebender responded before Aagi looked at him._

_"Take care of Jai Li for me while I'm gone. I've always looked out for her and kept her safe… I just want someone to make sure she doesn't get in any trouble while I am gone. I know that this whole transition is really hitting her hard. So I want someone reliable and trustworthy to look out for her at least until I get back." The airbender remarked as his friend nodded his head 'yes' again._

_"This whole transition is hitting everyone hard, Aagi. It's hard to think of you going away for such a long period of time. I promise I will look out for Jai Li. I'll protect her with my life. You have my word, as the Guardian of the Fire Ruby." Kiroko answered causing his friend to smile and place his hand on the firebender's shoulder._

_"Thank you ,my friend. I knew I could count on you." Aagi said sincerely._

_"Guardian of the Fire Ruby?" Katara repeated aloud before the fog once again covers up the scene revealing a new scene. It was Jai Lj. She was looking out a window seal, her black hair flowing in the wind. She looked around 18 years old now, and she had turned into a beautiful woman. Her eyes held a longing sadness in them. This time she was dressed in a long flowing beautiful blue dress with yellow hems._

_"Jai Li, are you alright? You haven't hardly said a word all day today." Kiroko asked as he came up behind her. His mannerisms toward her had changed. He seemed more open to her.. more attached. _

_"It's been two long years since Aagi first departed, and it's been four months since we have last received word of him. I miss him so much. I just can't help but wonder where he is right now." This answer made Kiroko sigh an irritated sigh._

_"Jai Li, can't you think of anyone else besides the mighty bender of four elements? Ever since he left two years ago, you have been this somber woman who never even glances at another man." The Firebender wondered irritably. This made Jai Li look up at him with a confused expression._

_"Why would I have need to look at another man? You know I care about Aagi. Is it wrong for me to miss my best friend?" The waterbender responded with a frown causing Kiroko to frown as well._

_"Jai Li, will you wake up? You spend all your time wishing you could be with Aagi when there are other men who would love to have a chance to have your attention and affection. It's not wrong to miss him. It's just you let it consume you to where you can't see anything or anyone else." Kiroko's voice held a surprisingly patient yet irritated tone in it._

_"Why should I think of another man? I've grown up with all the young men around here, and they all are either married or think of me as a sister. What man would possibly seek me as something more?" The waterbender remarked with a slight laugh. Kiroko was silent a moment before reaching into his pocket and pulling out a red necklace. It was beautiful with golden embroidery all on it. Katara gasped when realizing what it was; however, Jai Li seemed oblivious._

_"The one standing before you seeks you as more. I love you, Jai Li. I desire for your hand in marriage. As a symbol of my love I ask you to take this necklace." Kiroko confessed causing Jai Li to gasp and back away._

_"Kiroko… Kiroko I can't. I do love you, but as a sister loves a brother. My heart belongs to Aagi.. You know that. I can't accept your love. I'm sorry." Jai Li said in nothing more than a whisper before swiftly walking out of the room leaving the rejected firebender alone in the room. His eyes and body were shivering in rage._

_"I will make you love me, Jai Li. I will prove to you that I am stronger than Aagi. I will win your heart from the master of all four elements. This I promise you." Kiroko mumbled before sticking the necklace back into his jacket and storming out the door of the house. Once again, the fog settled around Katara before a bright light flashed instantly waking the Katara up._

The watertribe girl awoke with a gasp before looking around her room. It was the middle of the night and everything seemed calm and peaceful; however, Katara's mind wasn't at rest.

"What was that dream about? Could it be connected to what is going on with Aang? What is going on?" Katara whispered to herself before walking over to the window and looking up at the full moon. Back in the spirit world, Jai Li stood staring at Katara.

"Your answers will come soon enough, Katara." She said with a sad expression on her beautiful face.

….

**So there you have it! A little background on Jai Li, Kiroko, Aagi, and Minuk! We will learn more about these characters later on! I hope you guys are liking the story! Thank you all for your reviews! You guys keep me going on with this story! Ya'll are AWESOME! :D**


	13. Chapter 13: A Call of Kasei

Chapter 13: The Call to Kasei

Previously on Avatar: The Journey Continues…

_"I didn't know that the Gems affected the Avatar's health." The Life spirit stated as Jai Li looked down at the ground._

_"It affects far more than just his health.. Please.. Will you send for Aagi... I need to speak with him." The beautiful woman asked causing Rui Zi to nod her head 'yes'._

_"I will be back as soon as I can." The spirit added to her silent response before taking off back to the spirit world in search for the male spirit._

_"Oh Kiroko... If only you would have listened..." Jai Li whispered before she too vanished back to the spirit world._

...

_The watertribe girl awoke with a gasp before looking around her room. It was the middle of the night and everything seemed calm and peaceful; however, Katara's mind wasn't at rest._

_"What was that dream about? Could it be connected to what is going on with Aang? What is going on?" Katara whispered to herself before walking over to the window and looking up at the full moon. Back in the spirit world, Jai Li stood staring at Katara._

_"Your answers will come soon enough, Katara." She said with a sad expression on her beautiful face._

…_"Siyu, check this out." Renshu told his friend causing the earthbender to eagerly scan over the page. On the old page, there was an elaborate drawing of a strong powerful man with golden amber eyes. He wore a long flowing maroon robe that resembled the attire of a highly esteemed sage. His long black wizard-like beard seemed to flow in the painting. In his right palm was a small flame no bigger than a coin, and in his left was a flaming firenation emblem._

_"It says that Kamer was the founder and first Firelord of the Fire Nation back when the world had just begun. His memorial and grave still stand tall and proud in the former Fire Nation capital, Kasei." Renshu read aloud before staring up at his best friend. "We have to travel to the Fire nation. More information on the ruby is probably in Kamer's Memorial." The waterbender swiftly stood to his feet and began walking out of the library leaving an aghast Siyu sitting at the table with his jaw dropped. Shaking his head and jumping to his feet, the earthbender raced out of the library after his determined friend._

…_.._

Rui zi took a deep breath before walking slowly up to the huge golden gates of Aagi's temple. The sight of the temple nearly took the beautiful spirit's breath away. She had heard about the magnificent architecture and gorgeous designs but had never seen them herself. It was truly a sight to behold. Just the golden gate alone was a sight to see. It towered above the trees and all the way up into the clouds that floated lightly in the blue spiritual sky. The golden bars were nearly blinding and held a brilliant glow. Diamonds swirled and curved their way up the gates sparkling in the sunlight.

"Who goes there?" A rough sounding guard's voice boomed from the top of the gate. His voice sounded cold and cruel. It completely caught the spirit of life off-guard.

"I am Rui Zi, The Spirit of Life. I have come to speak with Aagi, the first Avatar." Rui Zi answered while scanning to find where the voice came from. Instantly, a guard around six-foot-four jumped down from the gate and landed in front of the surprised women with a huge thud that shook the ground. Intimidatingly, the strong guard walked up closely to Rui Zi who confidently stood still. He was dressed in shimmering silver armor and a with long yellow sleeves, red pants, and yellow boots. His long black hair was pulled back in a tight bun, and his auburn eyes held a fierceness yet hidden kindness in them as well. It was the strangest contradiction.

"What business do you have speaking with the mighty Aagi?" He asked coarsely.

"I have a message for him." Was the Spirit of Life's vague answer.

"What is the message? I can pass it along to the mighty Aagi." The guard responded causing Rui Zi to become frustrated.

"The message is for Aagi's ears only, not for his nosy guard's too. Please let me pass." Ruiz Zi demanded nicely causing the soldier to take a step back I surprise.

"How dare you say that to me? Do you know who I am? I am Rozan Chief of the Guards!" Rozan growled as Ruiz zi placed her hands on her hips and rolled her eyes.

"Well, I am Rui Zi, The Spirit of Life, a close personal friend of JAI LI." Rui Zi's remark caused Rozan to instantly back away and bow in respect.

"My apologies Rui Zi, I didn't realize you were friend's with our beloved Jai Li. Please forgive me. If it would please you, I would be honored to personally escort you to Master Aagi's chamber so that way you will not be questioned by any of my men in the courtyard." The Chief of the Guard's apologized causing the spirit to smirk.

"I will take you up on that offer. Now take me to Aagi." Rui Zi demanded before the young guard bowed and stomped the ground. Instantly, the gate creaked open just enough for the two to enter then just as soon as they entered it slammed shut. Inside the gate, there was at least forty guards walking around in the courtyard, and two heavily armed soldiers guarded the entrance to the temple.

"Wow… It's something that the mighty avatar would need so many guards." Rui Zi stated as they passed by the guards standing at the entrance of the temple.

"We haven't always been here. Just recently the council of five called me here to protect Aagi and his wife. They told me that they could sense danger was in store for the Avatar and his wife. So my men and I have been here ever since, much against the approval of Aagi. However, we would rather the Avatar spirit be safe than happy. It seems that my efforts seem to be failing though. Avatar Aagi has been acting different these past few hours and the warmth around the temple has declined. That is why I was so questioning to you at the gate. If anything were to happen to Aagi, it would be because of my failure to protect him. I hope you understand." The Guard explained in a more concerned and sincere voice.

"I understand. My duty is to protect Katara, Avatar Aang's future wife. That is why I must speak with Aagi. Bad things are happening outside of the Spirit World…. Things that are out of our control." Rui Zi said in nearly a whisper before the doors to the temple swung open. The brilliance took Rui Zi's breath away. It resembled the Southern Airtemple when it was first constructed. Inside the main room were beautifully designed airnomad designs in the walls and swirling pillars with beautifully written inscriptions all over them. The tile on the floor was as blue as the sky and a cool breeze flowed through the air. An airnomad flute could be softly heard floating through the air creating the most tranquil atmosphere.

"That is what I feared. If you ever need assistance then let me know. I will be more than happy to help protect the Avatar and his future wife in any way possible. Aagi should be right through that room right over there. I will allow you your privacy to speak with him." Rokan told the beautiful spirit before bowing and exiting the temple. Rui Zi then turned toward the door that Rozan had pointed to. It was closed but the beautiful airnomad music could be heared flowing from that room. With a deep breath, Rui Zi walked up and opened the door.

….

Katara sat at the kitchen table sipping on some hot jasmine tea. She was dressed in her normal blue watertribe clothes, but her hair was let all the way down on her face. Ever since her dream, she couldn't go back to sleep. Her mind was too consumed by the visions that she saw. _What does it mean? Who is Aagi? Is he the first avatar? Is this what Aang is dealing with? What does the Guardian of the Fire Ruby do?_ All of those questions plagued the young waterbender's mind. Nothing was making sense. It felt completely out of her control, and she didn't like it.

"You look like you have a whole bunch on your mind, my little one." A soft comforting voice said causing Katara to look up and see her Mother standing there in a blue watertribe robe.

"Good morning Mom. Yeah, I do have a bunch on my mind. It's hard uh.. planning the wedding." Katara lied while placing her face in her hands. Kaya half-smiled before sitting down on the opposite side of the table.

"Yes, it is.. but I don't think that is all that is on your mind right now, is it?" Her mother inquired causing the young waterbender to groan.

"No, it's not.. Strange things have been happening with Aang here recently, and I have had this weird dream last night. I'm just really worried, and I don't know what to do." Katara confessed with a sigh as Kaya reached her hand across and placed it on Katara's shoulder.

"Have you talked with Aang about this stuff?" Her mother asked causing Katara to shake her head 'yes'.

"I have asked him if he was okay. He said that he is fine and everything is under control, but I don't believe him. His fire inside of him has weakened. I think, as crazy as it may sound, I think he may be losing his firebending." The waterbender answered before rubbing her eyes out of stress and tiredness.

"Losing his firebending? Why would you say that?" Kaya wondered, her eyebrows furrowed.

"I don't know… It is just a feeling inside of me. It's like someone is trying to tell me something but can't. In the dream I had last night, the Guardian of the Fire Ruby swore to defeat the avatar in order to prove his love to Jai Li. I assume Jai Li was an Avatar's love. I just feel that he is out for revenge and has somehow found a way to hurt Aang.." Katara answered with another big sigh. Kaya was silent a moment before taking her daughter's hand in hers.

"You need to tell Aang about this dream. He has access to the spirit world and his past lives. If what you are thinking is true then he would be able to get answers faster than you could." The waterbender's mother told her causing Katara to shake her head in understanding.

"Your right… I need to go tell him." Katara agreed before standing up and walking out of the main room and towards Aang's room. "Aang..Aang I need to talk to you about something." The room was completely silent.

"Aang?" The waterbender said his name in a concerned voice before opening the door and gasping.

"AANG!" Katara screamed before running over to the window where her lover was laying passed out on the floor. Immediately, Katara bended water out of the air and began feeling healing his heart and chi, trying to feel what was wrong with him. His heart was beating, but his chi felt cold. It was like it was blocked by something. She felt around and found the blockage in his fire chi. Straining, Katara vigorously worked on the clot. It felt like she was fighting against her element itself. Her hands began burning under the freezing coldness that was blocking the fire part of his chi.

"Come on.. Open UP!" Katara growled through clenched teeth before forcing every ounce of her chi into the healing. Tears and sweat collided as they both coursed down the waterbender's face. She could feel the clot begin to weaken, but it didn't decrease the burning that was now coursing up her arms. After what felt like an hour, the blockage broke free sending heat coursing through Aang's body and sending an exhausted Katara lying beside him panting heavily. Almost instantly Aang sat up with a low groan.

"Katara! Are you okay?" Aang exclaimed when seeing his fiancé beside him.

"I'm fine. Are YOU okay? You were ice cold and…." The waterbender began to say before Hakoda and Kaya ran into the room with a panicked look on their faces.

"Are you two okay? I heard Katara scream and we got here as fast as we could." Hakoda asked while Kaya walked swiftly up to her daughter. She then helped Katara to her feet. The waterbender gave her mother and smile as a silent thank you before turning her attention back to Aang who looked extremely confused.

"We are fine. Aang's chi was blocked, and I was trying to unblock it. It was kind of painful. That is why I screamed, but we are fine now." Katara answered before standing Aang up and moving him over to the bed. "I would like to look over Aang some more and make sure there are no more blockages though. I would prefer for it to be done in privacy." The waterbender continued in a firm yet respectful tone.

"Of course….. Let us know if you need anything." Kaya replied in understanding before silently ushering Hakoda out of the room and closing the door. When they were finally alone, Aang spoke up.

"My chi was blocked?" He inquired as Katara silently nodded her head 'yes'.

"Your fire chi was blocked. Do you remember anything happening last night?" Katara asked in concern before laying her lover down and feeling his chi again.

"Um.. no. All I remember was I was really tired and then.." Suddenly Aang's arrows lit up and a vision flashed in front of him.

_FLASH! A bright light surrounded him. A red ruby containing a pure fire broke. The earth crashed around him as fire flew in every direction. Aang had no control over it. Suddenly a temple flashed in front of him, and then a forgotten island with statues appeared. _

"_Come to Kasei.. Your questions will be answered. You must hurry! A great evil has arisen. Come Avatar.. I will be waiting for you." A deep voice ordered before Aang flashed back into reality._

Aang gasped as he came out of the vision only to see Katara staring at him with concerned eyes.

"What is it? What did you see?" Katara wondered as Aang sat up and looked at the ground.

"I have to go to some place called Kasei.. All of our questions will be answered then." Aang answered causing his fiancé to stand up.

"I'm going to go get our stuff together then." Katara said as she opened the door and left the room to get packed.

"A great evil is coming… perfect." Aang sighed to himself before standing up and getting dressed. "Now the question is, where is Kasei?"

"Katara, told me you were both leaving." Hakoda's voice said startling the young Avatar.

"Oh Chief Hakoda, I didn't hear you come in. Yes, I received a vision telling me to go to Kasei…" Aang answered with another sign.

"The old firenation capital?" Hakada stated in surprise.

"Uh.. I guess. I had never heard of Kasei before… How do you know what it is?" The Avatar wondered in curiosity.

"During the war, my fleet and I hid away in Kasei. It's been deserted for hundereds of years." The chief answered before waving for Aang to follow him. The young airbender then followed his future father-in-law into the main room where a big map of the world was. Hakoda then walked up to the map and pointed to a little island just below the firenation borders.

"This is Kasei. It's about two days journey from here." Hakoda informed before taking down the map and handing it to Aang. "Be careful and have safe travels."

"We will. Thank you Chief Hakoda." Aang stated before bowing and looking over at the door to see Katara standing there with two sleeping bags and a bag of clothes.

"You ready to go?" She asked with a smile causing Aang to nod in response.

"Leaving already?" Kaya said in a slightly saddened tone. "I understand.. You both have a lot of questions that you need answers too. Please be careful and come back soon." She continued before hugging Katara and Aang.

"We will." Katara answered before giving them another and walking outside followed by Aang.

"You ready to go on another trip, Buddy?" Aang asked Appa who growled an enthusiastic response.

"I thought so." Aang laughed before helping Katara on Appa and getting on Appa himself.

"We will see you guys in a few weeks!" Katara called out to her parents before they were in the air heading towards Kasei.

"Do you think whoever is there, can give us all the answers we need?" The young waterbender asked her future husband.

"All we can do is hope…" The young Avatar responded with a frown as the giant flying bison coursed through the morning sky.

…

**Okay, so I'm so sorry this is SUPER late. I have been EXTREMELY busy. College started, I have my own love life, I'm on my own, and I'm swarmed with homework. I am not dead, just super busy! I hope you like it! I will try and update again soon! Thank you for all of the reviews! You guys are awesome! **


	14. Chapter 14: Unexpected Power

**Chapter 14: Unexpected Power**

Previously on Avatar: The Journey Continues…..

"Renshu! Renshu, are you okay? What happened?" His earthbending partner exclaimed as he ran over and helped his friend up to his feet.

"I'm not sure..." Was the waterbender's reply before a large crack was heard from outside the room. That sound was followed by the enraged roar of the dragon.

"Let's get out if here." The waterbender suggested as he began heading back towards the entrance of the room.. Just then, fire spewed into the tomb as an angry dragon barred the door.

"Renshu! Hang on!" Siyu ordered before grabbing his friend and shooting up into the earth above them. After a few seconds, the two men were at the top of the earth while closing the earth behind them. Both men fought to catch their breath after the huge scare as they both stood to their feet.

"Well, are you to adventurers done digging in the ground?" Miki asked the two men causing them to turn around to see that they had shot up at the docking area of the island.

"Yes, we are done. We are ready to leave." Siyu responded quickly before running into the boat followed by Renshu who held onto the Ruby in his pocket as he felt this extreme power course through his veins.

…

"You need to get some rest..." She stated on the way to the home as a sickening feeling began to envelope her. Jai Li stood there watching Katara carry Aang back to the house. A grieved look was on her beautiful delicate face. Rui Zi stood next to her with a shocked expression on her face.

"I didn't know that the Gems affected the Avatar's health." The Life spirit stated as Jai Li looked down at the ground.

"It affects far more than just his health.. Please.. Will you send for Aagi... I need to speak with him." The beautiful woman asked causing Rui Zi to nod her head 'yes'.

"I will be back as soon as I can." The spirit added to her silent response before taking off back to the spirit world in search for the male spirit.

"Oh Kiroko... If only you would have listened..." Jai Li whispered before she too vanished back to the spirit world.

….

I understand. My duty is to protect Katara, Avatar Aang's future wife. That is why I must speak with Aagi. Bad things are happening outside of the Spirit World…. Things that are out of our control." Rui Zi said in nearly a whisper before the doors to the temple swung open. The brilliance took Rui Zi's breath away. It resembled the Southern Airtemple when it was first constructed. Inside the main room were beautifully designed airnomad designs in the walls and swirling pillars with beautifully written inscriptions all over them. The tile on the floor was as blue as the sky and a cool breeze flowed through the air. An airnomad flute could be softly heard floating through the air creating the most tranquil atmosphere.

"That is what I feared. If you ever need assistance then let me know. I will be more than happy to help protect the Avatar and his future wife in any way possible. Aagi should be right through that room right over there. I will allow you your privacy to speak with him." Rokan told the beautiful spirit before bowing and exiting the temple. Rui Zi then turned toward the door that Rozan had pointed to. It was closed but the beautiful airnomad music could be heared flowing from that room. With a deep breath, Rui Zi walked up and opened the door.

….

"_Yes, I feel the warmth again….the power…the vibrant heat. Well done, Renshu, you fool… well done." Kiroko chuckled as he held out his hands to feel that long lost sensation course through his body. Even though he could still fire bend, that particular feeling of the warmth inside of him had vanished, until now…... The warmth of the Fire Ruby. It was an indescribable power, warmth that vibrancy that no fire bender had ever dreamed of feeling. It was the loss that every firebender in the world didn't know they were missing, except for the ones who had felt its consuming power. Yes, that feeling. Yes, that heat had come back to him. _

"_Nothing can get in my way.. Nothing." Kiroko said to himself before seeing Siyu entering into the room. He could tell that the blasted earthbender was going to try and get through to Renshu. 'I can't let him interfere with my plans.' The evil man thought before breathing deeply in and out and connecting to Renshu's unaware conscience. It was an ability that Kiroko had spent years upon years mastering and finally he was putting it to practice on the poor waterbender's mind. From his psyche, Kiroko could manipulate the young man's attitude. However, he was still trapped and bound inside of the prison so he couldn't manifest himself in Renshu nor could he completely take over his actions… Unless Renshu willingly let him.. unless he let go. Then Renshu would become his own personal puppet.. obeying every single command. _

….

"_It's so beautiful.. so glorious… so… powerful. How could anyone ever forget about this ruby? How could anyone deny someone else this feeling of power? Just holding it gives me warmth and strength, and I am a waterbender… Imagine what kind of power I would have if it was my own element…" _The blonde headed man silently thought to himself as he examined the flashing red ruby in his hand.

"Renshu… Renshu… RENSHU!" Siyu screamed as he tried to get his best friend's attention.

"Huh? What?" Renshu mumbled as he snapped back into reality and looked up to see his best friend standing in the doorway of their cabin.

"Are you okay?" The muscular earthbender asked in concern. It had already been two days since they had escaped from Kasei, and ever since that day Renshu had practically lived in the room staring at his newly found possession.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Why are you constantly asking me if I'm okay? Don't you think if I wasn't okay I would tell you?" The young waterbender replied in a harsh intolerant tone causing his friend to lift up his hands in a sign of peace.

"Hey, I was just asking. There is no need to get all flamed on me.." Siyu said as he placed his hands back at his side.

"Well, stop asking. You don't need to worry about me." Renshu responded before gazing back at the powerful gem that was practically bonded to his hand.

"I can't help but worry about you. You aren't YOU anymore, Renshu. You had been acting weird ever since you started getting those dreams from that spirit guy, and I didn't say anything really…. but now… now there is a huge difference in your attitude… ever since you have gotten that ruby." The earthbender confessed to his friend while walking toward him. This caused Renshu to sigh in frustration before placing the Ruby of Fire in his pocket and standing up to walk away from his friend and over to the water basin. "Look.. All I'm saying is you have been a lot angrier and hot tempered recently… and then you just sit and stare at that rock of Fire for hours. We've been in this boat for two days already, and you've hardly left the cabin to even get some fresh air or anything… I'm just worried about you, Ren." Siyu continued causing his friend to growl and spin around to face him. The waterbender's face was bright red from anger and his hands were curled into fists.

"Don't you get it, stupid?! The reason I'm always angry is because you won't get off my back! I can hardly move without you staring a hole through me and asking if I'm okay! This ruby has NOTHING to do with it... and neither does the spirit prisoner.. Those aren't the problem…YOU ARE! Now stop your constant worrying about me. We just need to find the other three stones and this will all be over!" Renshu shouted before turning around and breathing heavily in an attempt to calm himself down. Siyu just stood there a second, shocked and kind of hurt. He knew that this wasn't his real best friend. It was something else. Something had changed him or someone.. someone evil. Just that realization drove chills down his spine. Speechless, Siyu stood there silently listening to his friend's deep rapid breaths. He knew that right now he couldn't reason with him. So all he could do is just be there for him through it all no matter what…

"_That's what best friend's are for.. Ren wouldn't leave me in this position if I were in it…so I'm not leaving him." Siyu thought to himself however… _"I'll leave you alone." Was all that the earthbender could muster out before turning around and walking out the door. Instantly, guilt slashed into Renshu's heart when hearing the door close shut. This wasn't like him at all, and he knew it. He knew deep down that Siyu was right, but he just couldn't stop now. He had already started this mission, and he was going to finish it. Another burst of rage coursed through him causing him to take multiple rapid breaths to calm himself down.

"_Why am I so mad? What's going on?"_ The waterbender thought as he looked at the water basin in front of him.

"_Feel the power…Just let go… Release your grasp on yourself" _ Renshu heard someone say in a commanding voice. It was a voice he couldn't disobey. Anger coursed through his body as he felt heat flow through it too. Suddenly the water in the basin began to boil as fire flowed from Renshu's palm.

"AH!" The waterbender yelped as he jumped back and saw the fire vanish from his hand. He stared intently at his hand for a few more seconds before breathing in and out and watching a flash of fire appear again.

"How am I firebending? I'm a waterbender.. not a firebender. What is going on? Did my waterbending get replaced when I let go?" Renshu thought to himself before picking up his hand and watching the water in the basin yield to his control. Then with his free hand, he summoned the heat causing another small burst of fire to form in his palm.

"_See what happens when you let go?_" The chilling voice whispered eliciting a dark smile on Renshu's face.

"Yes, yes I see." The water/fire bender chuckled as he collided both fire and water into eachother creating a dense fog in the room.

"_Don't reveal your power just yet. Obtain the other three spiritual stones first."_ The evil voice ordered as Renshu smiled maliciously.

"Yes, master." Was his simple response before swiping his hands out towards his sides and vanishing the fog that once clung in the small room.

"Where do I go next?" Renshu asked in a cold monotone voice.

"_Gaoling_." The dark voice replied causing the waterbender to turn around and walk towards the door.

"_It's a shame that I have to corrupt such a noble heart… but I have too.. I must get my revenge on the Avatar, and I fear if I don't then Siyu will begin turning Renshu against me… Now It's time to take control of him, and turn him into my new glorious creation. That stupid fool.. By the time I am finished with him, there will not be a good bone in his body. His soul will be corrupted. He will be a puppet in my hand, a vessel used for my will and my will alone. My word will be law.. He will no longer be able to fight it. Ruby of Fire, at last you will be mine again.." Kiroko stated as he watched, from his prison, Renshu walk out of the cabin and into the sunlight._

…..

Music whistled around the room as Rui Zi stepped inside. It was a beautiful colorful room that was open to nature. Birds tweeted along with the music while flying lemurs jumped from tree to tree. Butterflys fluttered, seeming to bounce to the rhythm of the melody. In the middle of the room sat a young man who looked around 25 years old. He had dark brown hair and was small yet pretty built. His appearance caught the spirit of life off guard, as well as his attire. He wore the traditional airnomad clothes instead of something similar to what the guards were wearing or what he used to wear. However, his style of clothing was the least of Rui Zi's concerns at that moment.

"_I hope that he will be okay with the news I have to tell him. He probably will not be happy that Jai Li is out near Kiroko's prison.. or even away from his protection…. " _Rui Zi thought to herself as she slowly continued advancing toward the handsome young man. She was so deep in thought that she didn't even notice that Aagi had stopped playing the flute and was now turning around to see her.

"Can I help you?" His rich baritone voice asked, quickly snapping Rui Zi back into reality. His grey eyes held a light in them that sparkled and shined, but also a wisdom and.. heaviness of years of being the avatar.

"Hello Avatar Aagi, I am Rui Zi, The Spirit Of Life. I have come on the request of Jai Li, The Guardian of the Sapphire of Water to come with me to the bridge of visions. She says that she needs to speak with you, and it is urgent." This news caused a flash of worry to zoom through the avatar's eyes.

"Of course, Take me to her." Aagi ordered in a calm voice although his eyes held a much different story. Rui Zi nodded her head before swiftly exiting the room and heading for her home.

"Why is Jai Li outside of the gates? Why is she at the Bridge of Visions?" The first avatar asked as he swiftly followed the young women out into the courtyard.

"I'm afraid I cannot answer that Avatar Aagi. I promise that all of your questions will be answered when you get there." Rui Zi answered causing the handsome bender of four elements to let out a brisk sigh.

"Very well.." Was all he said before creating a large wind current and sweeping both himself and the surprised spirit up into the air.

"We will get there faster if we ride the wind rather than the earth." Aagi explained as they flew toward the Bridge of Visions.

…..

"Hey Aang, I know we need to get to Kasei as soon as we can, but do you think we can drop by Kyoshi and see Sokka and Suki?" Katara asked her fiancé who flashed her a sweet smile.

"Of course we can. I think Appa needs a break anyway." Aang replied before lowing Appa down on to the ground and helping Katara down. All of the young love struck girls and adults gathered around to say hello to the Avatar and his new fiancé. Squeals of delight could be heard from the little girls, and ooh's and ahh's could be heard from the older women admiring Katara's new betrothal necklace.

"It's nice to see you too.. Thank you, I'm glad to be here… Um.. Yeah it's great to see you again…" Aang responded to the multitude of admirers.

"AANG! KATARA!" An all too familiar voice shouted from inside the crowd. Next thing the young couple knew, Sokka was grabbing onto them and pulling them into a big bear hug. "It's great to see ya'll. I was wondering if y'all were ever gonna come pick me up! It's about time!" Sokka exclaimed with a huge smile on his face.

"Hey Sokka, I didn't know that you were going to need a ride… I thought you took a boat here?" Katara stated while turning her head to the side.

"I wish I would have, but I took Appa. The he LEFT me and Suki here on Kyoshi to go back to you. I HAVE NO CLUE WHY HE DID THAT! BAD BOY, APPA! BAD BOY!" Sokka scolded only to yelp when the huge bison pounced on him giving his a big watery kiss. "EWWWW! APPA GET OFF OF ME!" Laughter filled the air as Sokka gave it his best effort to get out from underneath the giant fuzzy beast.

"So I take it that you two worked everything out?" Katara asked Suki who was smiling at the scene of Sokka and Appa.

"Yeah, we did. I forgave him for being an idiot. After all, he's MY idiot." The kyoshi warrior stated eliciting a giggle from Katara.

"Yeah, he is an idiot sometimes. I'm glad that everything worked out between you two."

"SUKI, KATARA, AANG HELP PLEASE!" The warrior begged as he continued wrestling with the 2 ton sky bison.

"Alright buddy, you can get off Sokka now." Aang told his animal friend who, after giving Sokka another big wet lick, obeyed his master and back away.

"Thanks.. So why are you two over here anyway? I didn't think you guys were coming to see me just to make sure I was okay." The southern watertribe warrior asked causing Aang and Katara to become very solemn.

"I think it would be better to talk about that stuff back at the training house." The young waterbender suggested causing everyone to silently nod in understanding before pushing through the crowd. A few minutes later they arrived at the training house.

"Okay, so what's going on?" Sokka questioned, cutting straight to the point.

"We are heading to Kasei, the old firenation capital. Something strange has happened to Aang here recently, and we need to get answers." Katara answered before Aang could. This news immediately caught the attention of both warriors.

"What happened?" Suki wondered causing Aang to look down at the ground.

"We don't really know. I just had this huge pain hit me and I fell. Then the next morning my fire chi was blocked, and Katara had to go and unblock it. It took all of her energy to do it. Then I had a vision that I was supposed to go to Kasei, and there I will get all of my answers." Aang stated before looking back up from the ground only to see a worried look on Sokka and Suki's face.

"Well…. Can you still firebend?" Suki asked her friend.

"Of course I can. Watch." Aang stated before twirling around and shooting out fire from his palms and legs. However, after that he fell to the ground breathing rapidly. It felt as though his chakra was tearing… it was painful.. It was.. weakening.

"AANG!" Katara screamed as she ran over to him in concern.

"I'm fine.. Just out of breath." The avatar responded before Katara helped him to his feet.

"I think that is enough firebending at least until we figure out what's going on." Katara suggested as they walked up to the house.

"I think that is a good idea." Aang agreed before grimacing as a sharp pain jabbed him in the stomach.

'_What is going on with me?'_ The young avatar thought to himself as a sickening feeling enveloped him.

…..

**Hey guys! Told you I'd get done with this chapter as soon as I could! I hope you enjoy it; although I'm sure a lot of you knew THAT was coming. Because you guys are SO SMART! I'll try and get more soon too. I hope you like it! And thank you for all of the awesome reviews! YOU GUYS ARE AWESOME! :D**


	15. Chapter 15: The Beginning of Danger

**Chapter 15: The Beginning of Danger to Come pt 1**

**Previously on Avatar: The Journey Continues…..**

"_I hope that he will be okay with the news I have to tell him. He probably will not be happy that Jai Li is out near Kiroko's prison.. or even away from his protection…. "__Rui Zi thought to herself as she slowly continued advancing toward the handsome young man. She was so deep in thought that she didn't even notice that Aagi had stopped playing the flute and was now turning around to see her._

_"Can I help you?" His rich baritone voice asked, quickly snapping Rui Zi back into reality. His grey eyes held a light in them that sparkled and shined, but also a wisdom and.. heaviness of years of being the avatar._

_"Hello Avatar Aagi, I am Rui Zi, The Spirit Of Life. I have come on the request of Jai Li, The Guardian of the Sapphire of Water to come with me to the bridge of visions. She says that she needs to speak with you, and it is urgent." This news caused a flash of worry to zoom through the avatar's eyes._

_"Of course, Take me to her." Aagi ordered in a calm voice although his eyes held a much different story. Rui Zi nodded her head before swiftly exiting the room and heading for her home._

_"Why is Jai Li outside of the gates? Why is she at the Bridge of Visions?" The first avatar asked as he swiftly followed the young women out into the courtyard._

…_._

_"Thanks.. So why are you two over here anyway? I didn't think you guys were coming to see me just to make sure I was okay." The southern watertribe warrior asked causing Aang and Katara to become very solemn._

_"I think it would be better to talk about that stuff back at the training house." The young waterbender suggested causing everyone to silently nod in understanding before pushing through the crowd. A few minutes later they arrived at the training house._

_"Okay, so what's going on?" Sokka questioned, cutting straight to the point._

_"We are heading to Kasei, the old firenation capital. Something strange has happened to Aang here recently, and we need to get answers." Katara answered before Aang could. This news immediately caught the attention of both warriors._

_"What happened?" Suki wondered causing Aang to look down at the ground._

_"We don't really know. I just had this huge pain hit me and I fell. Then the next morning my fire chi was blocked, and Katara had to go and unblock it. It took all of her energy to do it. Then I had a vision that I was supposed to go to Kasei, and there I will get all of my answers." Aang stated before looking back up from the ground only to see a worried look on Sokka and Suki's face._

_"Well…. Can you still firebend?" Suki asked her friend._

_"Of course I can. Watch." Aang stated before twirling around and shooting out fire from his palms and legs. However, after that he fell to the ground breathing rapidly. It felt as though his chakra was tearing… it was painful.. It was.. weakening._

_"AANG!" Katara screamed as she ran over to him in concern._

_"I'm fine.. Just out of breath." The avatar responded before Katara helped him to his feet._

_"I think that is enough firebending at least until we figure out what's going on." Katara suggested as they walked up to the house._

_"I think that is a good idea." Aang agreed before grimacing as a sharp pain jabbed him in the stomach._

_'__What is going on with me?'__The young avatar thought to himself as a sickening feeling enveloped him._

**And Now…**

…

Where am I?" Katara thought to herself as she looked at her surroundings. It was clear to her that she was dreaming since everything was hazy and hard to make out. This was typical in her symbolic dreams from Rui Zi, but the weird thing was...'Rui Zi wasn't there. No one seemed to be..  
"Is anyone here? Hello? Rui Zi?" The Waterbender called out before the fog began to clear. Out of the mist of the fog appeared an all too familiar town... It was a town that she had spent just a little while at a time at. However, major things had happened in. It was...  
"Goaling.. Why am I seeing the town of Goaling?" The young girl wondered out loud. Almost immediately after the question escaped the young woman's mouth, a bright flash of light enveloped her waking her up from her dream. Katara scanned the room, silently getting a head count of all the sleeping bodies and making sure everyone was accounted for. Not to her surprise, Suki and Sokka were no longer in the room.  
"They must have snuck off in the middle of the night..." Katara thought silently while rolling her eyes and getting up out of her bed. She slowly and quietly made her way to the window where she could get a better view of the sky. It felt like she was only asleep for a few minutes; however, hours had already passed. To Katara's surprise, the sun was beginning to rise into the peaceful morning sky.  
"I should probably wake everyone up... We have a long journey ahead of us..." The young woman thought to herself before turning her attention to the sleeping figure of the love of her life. He looked so peaceful, just like he did that day that she found him long ago. It was before the war.. before he was holding the fate of the world on his shoulders.. before this evil had come to hurt him... before the dreams... Before Koh nearly took her away... Before the frightening adventures that they had to take.. Now it seems like the only time that his face held any peaceful lightheartedness was when he was fast asleep dreaming his dreams of the world 100 years before. Katara didn't want to wake him up to this new scary reality again.. Not knowing what is going to happen.. Not knowing why his bending is weakening and why he is experiencing these indescribable pains.. To the stress of a new enemy.  
"Aang..." Katara whispered reluctantly against her own wishes. "Aang, wake up, my love."  
"Mmmmm...Katara?.. What.. What is it? Is something wrong?" The Avatar asked as he sleepily sat up from his bed and drowsily looked around for any potential signs of danger.  
"No.. Nothing is wrong. It's just time to get up... It's morning already and we have a long day ahead of us." Katara reassured before leaning over and giving her fiancé a kiss on the cheek. She then turned her attention to Ty Lee who was sleeping on a cot directly across the room from where Aang was laying.  
"Do you think Ty Lee would like to join us on our mission? She might know a little about this whole fire nation capital?" Katara asked her boyfriend who looked over at the sleeping acrobat.  
"I don't see what it could hurt. She is a good friend of ours." The optimistic airnomad replied before standing on his feet and stretching out his arms and legs. Katara simply smiled at him and then stood and walked over to Ty Lee's cot.  
"Hey Ty Lee.. Wake up.." The waterbender whispered while gently nudging the skilled performer.  
"Huh? Wha- Oh Goodmorning Katara!" The cheerful girl greeted her friend with a smile. "Is everything okay?"  
"Yes, everything is fine... I just was wondering if you could help Aang and I... We are about to leave to go to Kasei, but we don't really know what to expect or really any background on it... I was wondering if you knew anything about it or would be willing to come with us." Katara inquired causing a huge smile to flash across the acrobats face.  
"I'd love to! I don't know much about Kasei, except for what I learned in my history class in school, but I think I know someone who would know a lot more than me." Ty Lee told her friend which instantly caught Aang's attention.  
"Wait.. You know someone who might be able to tell us more about the former capital, Kasei?" The Avatar repeated causing Ty Lee to nod her head in reply.  
"His name is, Junin. He is a good friend of mine. We went to school together for a few years. He was super in to things like that. Ancient cities and long forgotten legends just fascinated him." Ty Lee continued to explain to her friends.  
"That's great! Where does Junin live?" Katara asked in excitement as a big hopeful smile came across her face.  
"He lives in a small village just off the tip of the fire nation, near the formerly called Volcano Islands. It will not be too far from where we want to go. Like I said, He could really help us. Especially if there is any legends involved then he would definitely want to be involved in solving it!" The acrobat answered before standing up and putting some of her belongings in a carry on bag.  
"That sounds great! Lets get all packed up and off to the Volcano Islands! Um... Where is Suki and Sokka?" Aang noticed while looking around the room for his friends.  
"Can you guys keep it down?! My Sugarlumps and me.. are trying to get some... some sleep in our room.." A half a sleep, half dressed Sokka demanded as he drowsily entered the room.  
"Sugarlumps?" Aang repeated while trying so hard not to laugh.  
"Our room?.." Katara also repeated in a more serious, firm tone.  
"How sweet!" Ty Lee squealed absentmindedly before sighing and kart wheeling over to the window seal to get a glimpse of the new day.  
"It's time to get up Sokka... We have a long journey ahead of us." Katara informed her brother who slumped over even more when hearing this news.  
"Now get dressed and packed up.. We are leaving in an hour." Sokka's younger sister ordered eliciting a wimped and grumble from the sleepy warrior.  
"Dont even think about going back to sleep. If you don't get up.. Then I'm gonna come find you and Suki both. Oh and believe me.. Your wake up from me will not be so pleasant." Katara threatened with a stern look on her face.  
"Alright alright... You win... Ill go get Suki up..." The watertribe warrior reluctantly agreed before turning around a sulking back to whichever room he had disappeared off to before. Half an hour later, everyone was on loading up Appa and ready to go. Ty Lee hugged her fellow Kyoshi warriors before practically flying up onto Appa's back. Suki also said goodbye but walked up with Sokka who helped her on the large bison's back, and Aang and Katara merely sat on Appa's head and waved goodbye to the townspeople who had gathered to see them off. A few seconds later, the group of friends were in the air sailing to their next destination.

"Jai Li! Are you okay?" Aagi called out as soon as the two flew down into the Bridge of visions. The beautiful woman just stood there looking at the scene of Aang and his friends getting on Appa and heading to Volcano Islands.  
"Aagi, you have kept your head in the clouds for two long..." Was the beautiful woman's completely off-topic response. This answer caught Aagi off-guard.  
"What do you mean, my love?" The first avatar asked as he continued to approach the saddened woman.  
"Aang... That's who I mean.. You never told him or any of your reincarnated lives about Kiroko... You've kept it a secret for too long. Now... It's begun..." Jai Li stated as she turned around to see her lover stopped dead in his tracks a few feet away from her.  
"What has begun Jai Li? Kiroko has been securely locked away in the spirit world for countless years.. What have I to fear?" The avatar wondered before taking a step closer to his beautiful wife.

"Your worst nightmare... That's what you have to fear... The spiritual Ruby of Fire has been taken from Kamar's grave... Aang's firebending has weakened... And now I fear the young man who stole the ruby is aware of his power." Jai Li told the bender of four causing him to take a step back, his face in complete confusion and concern.  
"But.. But how can that be? The legend died long ago... along with our existence. We are no more than myths in the eyes of man in this day in age. How did they get that information to know where to find the ruby? Who told them how to find it and about it?" Aagi asked in confusion causing Jai Li to close her eyes and grimace.  
"Kiroko told them..." She said before wincing and looking down at the ground.  
"WHAT?! How?! Kiroko has no access to anyone in the spirit world... Much less the mortal world. How do you know this? How do you know Kiroko is behind all of this?" Aagi asked as he focused all his attention on his beloved.

"You are well aware of my connection to Kiroko, Aagi... As a guardian, I can sense what the other is sensing and what the other is planning. Kiroko and I had the strongest sense of connection in that aspect... He has found a way to communicate in the mortal world, but it seems it's only to those susceptible to his voice. Those who have lost someone important in their lives or have a strong brave heart to help someone in need will be susceptible to his calling. This young man just happens to have both.." Jia Li informed causing Aagi to stare silently at the ground. A few quiet moments passed between the two long forgotten lovers.  
"What is the name of the young man?" He finally asked as his wife looked away back towards the vision of the mortal world.  
"Renshu... The waterbender. He and his caring friend Siyu, an earthbender, are working together. I fear that Kiroko is changing Renshu for the worst." Jai Li informed.  
"I see..." Aagi pondered silently for a second before returning his focus to the beautiful woman. "Even if the mortals find all four relics, how would they ever release him? They are not guardians; therefore, they can't access the spirit world. Only the guardians can have access to true power of the stones. Also the Avatar and all of his incarnations would have to be present to push through as a bridge from the spirit world to the new world to release Kiroko... Just like what was done years ago. I'm sure that there is nothing to worry about, my dear." Aagi reasoned before walking up to his love and wrapping his arms around her tiny waist. "Avatar Aang will be able to handle this."  
"Has time really flown away with your memories, Aagi" Jai Li asked in frustration. "Have you really forgotten the order that the leader placed? Have you forgotten the power of the evil forces that work together to stain the spiritual stones? Have you forgotten that the person who holds and yields the power of the spiritual stones also changes it's core and it obeys accordingly to its master's wishes. Only the true anointed holder of the spiritual stones can take them from the evil one. Aagi.. please.. You have to stop hiding this secret.. Kiroko will regain his freedom if you do not warn Avatar Aang."

The Avatar looked down at the ground with a sigh. His face held confusion, depression, and anxiousness.

"I can't… Not yet." The look in Aagi's eyes caused Jai Li to look at him with a questioning look on her face. She hadn't seen this look on his face before. It was as if he was hiding something, but what?

"Why? Why can't you? The world is in danger, Aagi! It is our sworn duty to keep the balance in the world… to look after the stones. Why can't you tell Aang? Why are you so stubborn about this?" The beautiful woman asked in desperation as she grabbed her lovers arm as he turned to walk away.

"I just can't Jai Li. I refuse to discuss this further. We figured out how to defeat Kiroko, who was a keeper of the Ruby of Fire. Avatar Aang will be able to figure out how to defeat this nuisance." The coldness in the first Avatar's voice caught his lover off guard. He then swiftly walked past Rui Zi, staring at him in utter shock and disbelief.

"If he does, it will cost him everything to do so! If he doesn't… all hope is lost! The leader once told me.." Jai Li yelled at Aagi before he interrupted her.

"The LEADER gave me specific instructions to never speak of this to anyone, under no circumstances am I able to help or disclose our secret. I have to obey him, Jai Li. I'm sorry…" With those final words, the avatar swiftly jumped into the air and flew on an air ball back to his palace. The beautiful young woman stood there in shock. Never had she seen her husband so cold towards people who were in trouble. Jai Li looked down at the ground before plopping down onto the earth in distress.

"What am I going to do now? I am unable to speak with Katara and cannot possibly contact Aang either… My limitations have left me useless.." Jai Li mumbled as she placed her face in the palms of her hands. Rui Zi slowly approached the Guardian of the Water Sapphire. Placing a comforting hand on her shoulder, The Spirit of Life let out a sigh.

"I wish there was a way that I could help; however, I myself is also banned from being able to explain anything to Katara… I could still send her dreams and visions of the past until we come up with something." Rui Zi offered cause Jai Li to smile.

"Yes, Please keep sending her dreams as often as you possibly can. I will go and try to reason with the Leader…" The beautiful woman replied as she stood up and looked off into the spiritworld's dreary sky.

"The leader? Jai Li, the journey to the leader is perilous and filled with evil spirits of the darkness. No one who has ever entered into the forbidden land has ever returned. They send your spirit to a world unknown if you are destroyed… You can't go.. You just can't go Jai Li." The spirit of life pleaded before her dear friend turned to her with determination in her eyes.

"I have to. I must speak with the Leader… As long as I still yield the power of the Water Sapphire, I will be safe." The brave woman responded as she began to walk towards the misty path heading towards the dark forbidden land.

"And if you don't… If you don't find the Leader in time and you lose the power of the Sapphire of Water.. Then you know…" Rui Zi couldn't finish the sentence as tears clouded her sight.

"It is a risk I am willing to take… To save the world." Jai Li whispered softly before turning back around and entering into the dark, forbidden land. Rui Zi stood there hopeless. Tears slid down her face as she watched her dear friends vanish into the unforgiving mist.

…

"Your highness, I have just received word that the Avatar is on his way to the Fire Nation." A soldier informed the Firelord who was busy tasting cakes for his upcoming wedding. Firelord Zuko turned around when hearing this, his face held an uneasiness.

"Aang wasn't supposed to join us here until a few days before the wedding.. I wonder what is bringing him here so early. Do you know where he is planning on going?" Zuko asked the guard who shrugged his shoulders.

"From the reports, it seems that he is heading over towards Volcano Island." The soldier responded before Zuko swiftly walked past him leaving the guard slightly confused at the Firelord's sudden exit.

'I wonder if this has to do with the dream I had the other night..' Zuko thought to himself as he made his way up to his bedroom chambers. As he was on his way, the dream played back inside his mind.

_Fire..That is all there was.. An overwhelming amount of scorching hot uncontrollable fire. Zuko stood in the middle of it as it devoured the land before his eyes. His eyes widened when he realized where the fire was heading.. It was heading straight for his nation. _

"_I have to warn my people!" Zuko told himself as he began to run only to fall face first into the ashes. "What the..?" The firebender wondered as he looked down at his hands and feet only to see that he was chained to the ground below him. He was unable to move, unable to stop it, unable to save them. He covered his ears as torturous screams of his people surrounded him as they were engulfed by the flames. Pain shot through his heart as he watched his people, his city, and his kingdom burn to the ground._

"_NO! Please NO!" Zuko turned his attention to the terrified voice that cried behind him. Following the pleads was a piercing scream that rang through the swiftly turned around and saw Katara chained to a wall as an wicked figure of a man closed in on her. He heard her scream in agony as fire shot from the man's fists and consumed her._

"_KATARA!" Zuko called out as he fought to break free of the chains. As he did, the fires subsided leaving behind a horrifying sight. The firelord gasped when looking at the scene in front of him. There lying in the ashes was the remains of his closest friends. Burnt and tattered clothes covered their lifeless bodies and each of their elements lay beside them. Toph's lifeless body was the closest to him. Her head was stained in blood, her skin was white as snow, her hands and feet and half of her face was severely burnt. A piece of earth; a sharp metal razor lay in her lifeless hand. Just a few feet away from her, was Sokka lying on his back. His face, neck, arms, and legs were severely burnt. The burns didn't seem to be the cause of his death. Horror filled Zukos eyes as he saw Sokka's own sword pierced into his chest. Zuko could see Suki's small figure lying right next to her lover. Her Kyoshi warrior outfit lay a few feet away from her, she now wore a burnt nightgown that was stained red from Sokka's blood. Her body was burnt as her face was nestled on the other side of Sokka's chest. Next Zuko turned his attention to the lifeless corpse of his favorite waterbender.. Katara lay face down on the ground in a puddle of water. Her body was burnt, but blood was gushing from her back. It was then that the Firelord noticed multiple ice spears stuck in Katara's back. Suddenly a heartbroken scream filled the room._

"_NO! KATARA!" The distraught voice of Aang sounded as he ran over to his fiancé. Zuko watched in sadness as his best friend melted the ice and took Katara into his arm. _

"_Aang…" The firelord called out as he tried to break free from the chains only to see that it was no use. Wind began to pick up around him as he felt the earth begin to shake violently as the united voices of Aang and his past lives screamed in rage. Suddenly, lightening shot out of nowhere striking Aang in the chest._

"_AANG!" Zuko screamed in dismay as he hopelessly watched his best friend fall and land on the ground on top of Katara. "NO!" Tears now ran down the Firelord's face as he fought with all of his might to break free of the chains holding him captive._

"_At long last… Revenge is mine." A chilling voice echoed all around him. Then he woke up with a gasp._

'I wonder if that dream meant something more.. I wonder if it was a vision… Either way I have to go see Aang. It is no coincidence that he is here a day after that dream..' Zuko thought to himself before packing up his belongings.

"You're leaving, again?" A familiar raspy voice remarked from behind him.

"Mai!" Zuko smiled before scratching the back of his head. "I didn't hear you come in."

"I've been standing here for like five minutes now." The warrior replied drearily before sighing. "I don't like that you were just going to run off like this.. two weeks before our wedding.. but.. I know you have to. You never leave unless you have a good reason. So I guess I'll let you go to meet Aang, right?" Mai's expression softened for a moment before walking up to a nodding Zuko. "But don't you even think about getting cold feet. I had better see you at that alter two weeks from now." She threatened before kissing her future husband and walking out the door leaving Firelord Zuko puzzled. A few seconds later, he shook his head and smiled before grabbing his bag and heading out to the courtyard where his airship was waiting for him.

"Hey hot-head, Where do you think you are going?" A bossy voice called out to Zuko as soon as he was about to get in the airship. The Firelord winced and turned around. Just a few feet behind him stood Toph with her arms crossed.

"Aang's heading towards the firenation. I am going to catch up with him and see why he is here so early." Zuko answered honestly as Toph furrowed her eyebrows in thought.

"Twinkle toes is back two weeks early? That's not like him, especially since Katara is at the South Pole visiting family. He wouldn't cut that short unless it was something important. I'm going with you." The Blind earthbender stated before brushing past the Firelord and entering into the airship.

"Don't you need to tell Sheng that your leaving?" Zuko wondered as Toph sat nonchalantly on one of the sofas in the living quarters of the ship.

"Oh yeah. Toph then moved her hand causing the earth outside of the ship to rise in letters that read, _Leaving on mission. Will be back soon. –Toph_

"When did you learn to spell?" Zuko asked as they began flying above the city.

"Sheng taught me." Was the Blind Bandits short response before picking some wax out of her ear and flinging it across the room. The Firebender looked at Toph with a disgusted look on his face.

"You never change do you?" Zuko remarked with a sigh before getting punched in the shoulder.

"Nope." Toph responded before letting out a laugh. Zuko smiled kindly at her as he rubbed his shoulder and looked out of the window.

'I hope my dream was just a dream… We will find out soon enough though.' The Firelord thought to himself as he let out a deep sigh and looked up at the sky above him.

…

**Finally another update! Sorry for the long wait guys! College schedules, boyfriend, and work on the weekend doesn't really fit well with my fan-fiction writing schedule; however, I sat down and was determined to get you guys a chapter tonight. This is a whole 4000 word chapter. It's a 6 pages long in Microsoft word. There is quiet a few different things going on. You finally get to hear some from Zuko and Toph. Long missed characters, I'm sure. Please bear with me on this waiting game. I've been swamped. I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter. As in all my stories, it is deep and filled with all kinds of different scenarios and conflicts that arise. It's never simple. I hope this story isn't getting confusing to anyone. Please review and let me know what you think! Thank you for reading!**

**OHHHHHHHHH HEY BY THE WAY! I MAKE AMV (FAN-VIDEO'S) TOO! GO TO YOUTUBE AND TYPE IN Kataangfan95 AND IT WILL BRING UP MY CHANNEL. PLEASE GO WATCH MY VIDEOS ON THERE AS WELL, IF YOU FEEL UP TO IT! I'VE WORKED HARD ON THOSE TOO. THERE'S LOTS OF KATAANGYNESS ON THAT PAGE AND I AM UP FOR ANY REQUESTS! EXCEPT ZUTARA. ANY SONG, ANY TYPE AMV.. JUST NAME IT AND I'LL DO IT FOR YOU! :D PLEASE CHECK IT OUT! **


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